Beddleman's Island
by NemoTheSurvivor
Summary: A new trainer travels to Beddleman's Island, home to a private school for snotty rich children. Except for the man living on an island nearby and the wandering trainer who just so happens to have stumbled onto the island.
1. The First Step in a New Life

It was a warm spring afternoon, a slight breeze kissing my skin. Pokémon sounded around me, creating a myriad of sounds. I took in a breath, letting peace fill my body. "Today's going to be a great day," I said.

"Mawile." Mawile flashed a smile at me. Deceivingly cute, as always.

My great day was interrupted by someone shouting. Mawile looked at me with her mischievous eyes. "Let's go check it out," I said.

"Mawile!" Mawile ran forward, leading me towards the sound. I couldn't make out what he was yelling, but he didn't seem happy. There was something unsettling about the yelling. Almost as if it sounded laced with greed.

The yelling became understandable as Mawile and I got closer. "I'm mean, how could you do this?" the boy yelled. "I asked one thing from you. One thing, and yet you manage to screw it up! I bet you call me your friend, don't you! Well, since this is how you repay me after everything I've done for you, we're done! Through, you got that! Through!"

"Sylveon?" A Pokémon? Why was this kid yelling at a Pokémon?

"Don't back talk me!" the boy yelled.

Mawile and I were close enough that we could see the boy and his Pokémon. The boy was wearing a green school uniform, minus the jacket. He was probably some rich kid who always got what he wanted. But that still didn't explain why he was yelling at Sylveon.

My first thought was that the rich kid's Sylveon looked scared, but that didn't seem right. The way Sylveon grasped at the rich kid's arms wasn't from fear. The ribbons coming from the bows were dragging the ground. No, Sylveon wasn't scared. It was being abandoned.

"Sylv-" The spoiled brat kicked Sylveon, cutting it off.

"I said quiet!" the spoiled brat yelled.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Just what do you think you're doing to your pokémon?"

The rich kid turned to face me. "I don't know who you think you are, and I don't care." He pulled out a stack of bills, counted out several of them, and held them out. "Take this and be on your way. I don't have time for ignorant girls like you."

"You can't treat your Pokémon like that!" I yelled.

Mawile stepped in front of me, sensing the tension in the air. "Mawile!"

Sylveon stepped between Mawile and the rich kid. Even after being abused by that kid, it still wanted to protect its trainer. "I didn't tell you to move, did I!" the brat yelled. He went to kick Sylveon again.

A streak of yellow moved from the tree line to Sylveon in an instant. By the time the brat would have kicked his Pokémon, Sylveon was well out of range. Standing over Sylveon was another eeveelution. Jolteon, growling, filled the air with an electric current. "Jolteon!" a man yelled coming up from behind the trees.

The man was scarred along the left side of his face, as if something sliced from his eye to his arm. The scars led down to a green scarf with a peculiar stone underneath his left ear. The man surveyed the situation, his eyes looking at more than just who was standing where. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"None of your business," the brat said. "Put your stupid pet into its pokéball and leave."

"What's going on here?" the man asked me.

"That brat kicked Sylveon," I said. "Jolteon didn't like that."

"He did what?" the man asked angrily. A Gardevoir appeared at his side.

"Gardevoir." It placed a hand on his shoulder.

The man sighed. Calmly, he said, "If you take another step towards that Sylveon, I'll have Jolteon zap you."

"Are we really getting all worked up over one disobedient Pokémon?" the brat asked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Mawile glanced at the sound of my voice, but stood firm between the other pokémon and me.

"I wanted my Eevee to evolve into Umbreon," the brat said, "not some girly Pokémon that isn't worth half of what an Eevee costs."

I stood there, dumbfounded. How could someone even say something like that? The man looked at Gardevoir. Gardevoir nodded before teleporting away. "Leave," the man ordered the brat. "Drop Sylveon's pokéball and leave. Now."

"Fine," the brat said, pulling out a pokéball. "You can have the stupid thing. I didn't want it anyway." The brat threw the pokéball at the man, who caught it. As the brat started walking away, Sylveon tried to follow him. "Leave me alone, you worthless pink piece of trash!" He raised his leg to strike Sylveon. Jolteon stepped between the two, ready to take the kick. The brat set his foot down. "My father will hear about this!" the brat yelled before leaving.

Sylveon took several steps towards the brat before stopping in the middle of the path. It sat down, tearing up over the loss of its trainer, and cried into the approaching night.


	2. Losses

"I've never heard anything like that before," I said as the man winced at the sound of Sylveon's crying.

"Eevee evolves into Sylveon when it loves its trainer more than life itself," the man said. "Sylveon was ready to love that bastard for the rest of time, and he hated it for that." The man looked at me. "It broke Sylveon's heart."

I looked at Sylveon. Jolteon and Mawile were trying to comfort the heartbroken Pokémon, to no avail. "What'll happen to it now?" I asked the man.

"I don't know," the man sighed. "I've never seen a Sylveon abandoned by its trainer before." Sylveon let out another long, sad wail. My heart ached hearing it cry. "Do you have plans tonight?" the man asked me

"Not really," I replied.

"Care to stay?" The man asked.

"Only if you tell me your name."

"Liam," the man said. "And you are?"

"Zoe," I answered. "And that's Mawile." Mawile smiled that deceitfully cute smile.

The man smiled back. "I believe you've met Jolteon and Gardevoir. Speaking of my old friend, here she comes now."

Gardevoir, along with a Ninetails, walked down the path towards Liam and me. They both carried a bedroll. "Gardevoir."

"Right as always," Liam said. "Stretch them out by the side of the path." Gardevoir used its psychic power to unroll both mats at once, laying them along the ground. "Hungry?" My stomach growled as I nodded.

"Bring out your Pokémon," Liam said, "and let's eat."

"C'mon, Mawile," I said. "Food."

"Mawile!" She didn't move from Sylveon's side. Sylveon wasn't crying into the setting sun anymore. Now, it was just crying.

"Any other pokémon?" Liam asked.

"Just one." I grabbed my other pokéball, tossing it into the air.

A white light erupted from the pokéball. "Metang!" The large metal pokémon floated in the air.

"You came to this island with only two pokémon?" Liam asked. He grabbed a small cooker, setting it up with ease.

"Is that bad?" I asked.

"Not really," Liam said. "Just surprising, that's all."

"Where is here, anyway?" I asked.

Liam sighed. "Welcome to Beddleman's Island, the perfect place for young and rich trainers to become spoiled adults with pokémon for slaves."

"That sounds harsh," I said.

"Put simply," Liam said, putting a small pot of stew on the cooker, "this island had nothing more than grass and sand before Mr. Beddleman decided to put a private school here for training pokémon. Of course, only the rich can afford it, and they pay for pokémon instead of catching them." The man sighed, stirring the stew. "There are some decent people here, but most of them are brats. The school tries to regulate the students on school grounds, but they just come out here to rough up their pokémon."

"Then what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I used to travel as a trainer. Of course, after my wife died, my daughter stopped talking to me, and I set free all of my pokémon, I lost my desire to travel the world." Liam stopped stirring the stew, pouring the contents into a couple of bowls. "Here." He handed me one of the bowls.

"What about our-" I started to ask. Gardevoir was handing out food to the our pokémon. The only one not eating was Sylveon. It sniffed the couple of pieces Gardevoir put in front of it, but didn't take a bite.

Liam and I ate in silence, the only sound Sylveon's whimpering. "Nothing like home cooking," Liam said after finishing his bowl. "Thanks." Liam handed his bowl to Gardevoir, who packed it away.

"Wait a second," I said, setting my bowl down, "I thought you freed all of your pokémon."

"I did," Liam said. "A few refused to leave, some others came back after living without me, yet some only come by for visits."

I was about to press the issue when I heard a cute yawn. Turning around, I saw Mawile was rubbing her eyes. There's a reason Mawile is referred to as the deceptive pokémon.

"Tired?" I asked. Mawile nodded. "Okay."

I started to reach for Mawile's pokéball when Liam stopped me. "Let her sleep next to you tonight," he suggested. "See if you like it."

"Why not?" I asked. "How about it?"

"Mawile." Mawile walked up to me, falling into my lap. She was sleeping almost immediately.

I gently picked Mawile up, somehow managing to slide into one of the sleeping rolls before laying her next to me. "Sweet dreams," I whispered.


	3. More Friendly Faces

I opened my eyes. The sunrise painted the sky. Yawning, I stretched my arms. It felt nice to spread my arms out over the morning dew on the grass. I started to drift back to sleep when something lifted my arm up. My eye cracked open. Sylveon nudged its nose under my arm, squirming underneath until we were cuddling. "Good morning," I said.

"Sylveon." It looked at me with eyes that put Mawile's deceiving smile to shame.

As I wondered whether Sylveon was over that brat, I felt something bump my hand. It was a pokéball. "Oh," I said, "you want to travel with me?" Sylveon looked embarrassed, then nodded. "Like I could say no to that face." I scratched behind Sylveon's ears.

"Mawile." She flashed me cute smile.

"Someone's jealous," Liam said. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well," I replied, sitting up. "You?"

"Can't complain. Any plans for the day?"

"No."

"Then how about some training?" Liam asked.

I scratched Sylveon's and Mawile's heads. "What makes you qualified to train me?"

"I was a champion in three weeks," Liam said.

"Three weeks?" I asked, stunned.

Liam shrugged. "There were kids who did the same thing in under a week."

"How?" I asked.

"A combination of training and knowledge," Liam said. "Gardevoir?"

"Gardevoir." The bedroll flew slowly into the air, neatly rolled up when Gardevoir plucked it from the air.

"Interested?" Liam asked.

I probably wouldn't get another chance at something like this. Of course, Liam could be lying through his teeth. "What do you guys think?" I asked my pokémon.

"Metang!" He was obviously excited by the prospect. Mawile smiled, more convincingly than usual. Sylveon wrapped on her ribbons around my hand.

I nodded and said, "I'm in."

"Great," Liam said. "Follow me."

* * *

Water lapped at the empty beach, with the sea stretching towards the horizon. "My house is on a nearby island," Liam said. "We'll train there."

"How are we getting there?" I asked.

"I'm a pokémon trainer, aren't I?" Liam said with a grin. He whistled a long low note.

A small wave started out in the water. As the wave approached the shore, it started getting bigger. Mawile and I stepped towards the water curiosity getting the better of us. Sylveon's ribbons pulled me back. Whatever that pokémon was, it frightened Sylveon.

The pokémon burst from the water, sending waves onto the beach. A red Gyarados was sitting in the water, close enough I had to crane my neck to see its face. The strangest part, however, was that it didn't make a sound. Nothing. Liam had it trained well.

"Wow," I mumbled.

"Hop on!" Liam yelled. Gyarados moved its tail to the beach, where Liam and his pokémon got on.

Sylveon didn't move. "Sylveon?"

I looked at Mawile. "Mawile." She flashed me a quick smile.

"Lead the way," I replied.

"Mawile!" I've never seen her move so fast.

"We better keep up," I said. Metang hovered onto Gyarados's head while Sylveon and I joined Mawile on Gyarados's back.

"All aboard!" Liam yelled. "Let's go home!" There was a slight lurch as Gyarados started moving. We eventually settled on a swift but calm speed. For all the power Gyarados has, Liam's was surprisingly gentle. My thoughts were interrupted when Liam pointed out to the water. "Looks like we have company!"

I looked where Liam was pointing. "What are those?" I asked. They looked like pokémon, but they definitely weren't water-types.

"Tyrogues," Liam said. The tyrogues were keeping pace with Gyarados. "More students, I'm sure."

"Students?" I asked.

"Tyrogues like high intensity training," Liam explained. "My daily training is enough for them to handle until they evolve and head home."

I looked at this supposed champion. "You run a training clinic for wild pokémon?" I asked

"When you put it like that, I do," Liam said, grinning. He looked forward. "Land!"

I peeked around from Gyarados's head, seeing a small island getting close. Of course, I peeked to far. There was a splash as I slid off Gyarados.

The cold water shocked me momentarily. "Woman overboard!" Liam yelled.

"Not funny!" I yelled back. As I started to swim towards Gyarados, who was turning around, an ominous fin appeared in the distance.

"Zoe!" Liam yelled. "Don't panic! That'll attract the Sharpedo!"

I froze. The black fin turned towards me. Water entering my mouth shocked me back to reality, causing some involuntary splashing. The Sharpedo sensed my panic. The fin tore through the water, faster than I could even imagine. "Sharpedo!" It launched into the air, water flowing out of its open mouth. My head dunked below the water the same time I gasped in surprise. I thought I would die coughing and sputtering.

I managed to cough up the water and keep my head above the waves. The Sharpedo still didn't attack me. I looked around, wondering where it went. "Sharpedo!" I turned towards the sound. The Sharpedo floated in the air, surrounded by a purple orb.

"Gardevoir." It was holding the Sharpedo in the air. A ball of energy started forming in Gyarados's mouth. When it was large enough, Gyarados unleashed a hyper beam, blasting Sharpedo into the distance.

I floated there, stunned. My head dunked under the water for a third time. As the cold water entered my mouth again, a strong hand pulled me out of the water. "You okay?" Liam asked, dragging me onto Gyarados.

"Not really," I said, coughing up water.

"But you didn't die," Liam said. "So that's a plus." Sylveon nuzzled me affectionately while Mawile kept her mouth-horns gently clamped on my leg. I didn't blame her.

The trip to land was short, and the solid surface felt great under my feet. "My house is this way," Liam said. "Which brings you to your first test. Try to keep up." Liam dashed into the forest, leaving me behind. After my brain registered what just happened, I ran to catch up with him, Mawile leading, Metang following, and Sylveon by my side.


	4. Liam's Fighting Style

Liam's house reminded me of a pokéball, with its white walls and red roof. The door frame was even painted black. I took slow, deep breaths as I jogged up to the front porch. "Not bad," Liam said. "Now that you're warmed up, time to see what you're made of." Liam stepped off the porch, walking towards the woods. When I moved to follow him, he put up his hand. "A pokémon battle."

"Against a champion?" I asked. Pokémon Master or not, I didn't like my chances against this man on his own turf.

"Of course," Liam said. "Pick a pokémon."

I looked at my pokémon. Of the three, only Metang wasn't breathing hard. "Metang," I said.

"Metang." The large pokémon floated in between Liam and me.

Liam looked at Jolteon. "You're up." Jolteon slowly stepped in front of Liam. "Are you ready to see what made me a champion? Then make the first move."

"Metang, use bullet punch!" I ordered.

Metang charged Jolteon. Jolteon held still. I watched as Metang's arm slammed into the ground, sending chunks of ground into the air. Jolteon was nowhere to be seen.

Metang, hesitant, started backing towards me. I blinked. Jolteon was now behind Metang. "Behind you!" I yelled.

"Tang?" As Metang turned around, Jolteon body crackled with electricity.

"Iron defense!" I yelled. Metang solidified his body. Jolteon unleashed an bolt of electricity. The bolt hit Metang, but didn't do much damage. "Bullet punch!" I ordered.

Metang lowered its guard and charged Jolteon. Again, Jolteon didn't move. Metang reached out to connect with Jolteon. Jolteon simply disappeared. No, it dodged. I barely caught the movement staring straight at Jolteon. As Metang's arm slammed into the ground, Jolteon appeared above him. I watched with startled amazement as Jolteon landed on Metang before kicking off, both times pushing Metang into the ground and creating a small crater.

Jolteon landed softly on his feet as Metang stayed in the ground, beaten. "Metang!" I yelled, sliding into the small crater that Metang was in. The pokémon didn't respond. "Metang!"

Metang opened his eyes. He struggled to lift his arms out of the ground for several second before finally succeeding. "Metang." It was a major crush to Metang's ego.

"C'mon," I said. I watched as Metang weakly hovered out of the crater before landing next to where I was standing.

Something bothered me about the battle. As I thought about it, the battle seemed one sided, but I didn't hear any of Liam's command. I blinked. Liam didn't say one word during the battle. Is that what makes him a great trainer? He doesn't have to speak to communicate with his pokémon?

Liam smiled. "How's he doing?"

"He just needs some rest," I replied. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Liam asked.

"Communicate with Jolteon?"

"I didn't."

My mouth shot open in disbelief. "What?"

"Jolteon made every decision in that fight on his own," Liam said. "I simply train him how to respond to different attacks and pokémon."

That's how Liam became champion. By not giving his pokémon orders, yet having them act the way he wants them to, there's no warning of what attack is coming. You'd have to predict his Pokémon's next move, all the while trying to catch them off guard. Even a champion would struggle with something like that.

"Sylveon, be careful," I said. Sylveon trotted past the crater, ready to fight.

"Marowak!" Liam yelled. "Fighting time!"

"Wak!" A short, brown pokémon with a skull for a head ran forward, ready for battle.

"Sylveon, use attract!" I said.

Sylveon walked around, waving its ribbons in an alluring way. Marowak just stood there, looking confused. "Wak?"

"Why didn't that work?" I wondered aloud.

"Sylveon must be male," Liam said. "Attract only works on pokémon of the opposite gender."

I was staring at the girlish pokémon upon realizing that it was actually a he. "Sylveon?" It looked stressed.

"Time for plan B," I said.

Marowak, seeing an opportunity, charged Sylveon. Sylveon managed to dodge Marowak's bone as it slammed into the ground. Marowak recovered faster than Sylveon, throwing the bone.

"Quick attack!" I yelled. Sylveon got the message, moving with blinding speed to both avoid the bonemerang and take the fight to Marowak. Of course, Liam had planned for just this strategy. Marowak charged Sylveon, leaving behind a silver trail. "Watch out!"

Marowak hit Sylveon with double-edge. Sylveon bounced off of Marowak's thick skull, landing in front of the returning bonemerang. The attack hit Sylveon as the bone returned to Marowak. While Sylveon sat dazed, Marowak charged once again, this time connecting with the bone club.

Sylveon rolled towards me. I stopped him, listening to him whimper in pain. "Sylveon?" It look towards me with pleading eyes.

"You did great," I said.

"Sorry about that," Liam said, "but I'm testing you. No holding back today."

"Mawile, get in there," I said.

"Mawile!" She was rather energetic, ready for a fight.

"Gardevoir." Liam didn't even have to call her.

"Whenever you're ready," Liam said.

"Flash cannon!" I yelled.

Mawile opened its jaw-like horns, gathering energy between them, before releasing a silver beam. Gardevoir side-stepped the attack, letting it pass by.

Gardevoir was probably Liam's best pokémon. I had to think of a way to beat it, unconventionally. "Flamethrower!" I ordered. "Aim for the ground around Gardevoir." Gardevoir seemed surprised that I taught Mawile flamethrower. It worked to my advantage as the ground around the psychic pokémon erupted in flames. "Flash cannon!" Mawile fired another blast of silver energy at Gardevoir. With flames closing in, and nowhere left to dodge the attack, Gardevoir leapt over the flames. "Crunch!"

I saw the shock register in Gardevoir's eyes, and the interest in Liam's, as Mawile rushed to chomp down on Gardevoir. Gardevoir was in the air, unable to quickly change directions. However, the shock turned to a smile as Gardevoir teleported, letting Mawile clamp down on air. "Maw?"

"Gardevoir." Gardevoir appeared in the air above Mawile. The ground under Mawile cracked before exploding upwards. Mawile was flung into the air by the psychic attack.

Gardevoir looked calm as Mawile flew upwards, out of control. I looked on, worried, until I caught that look in Mawile's eyes. They aren't called the deceiving pokémon for nothing. As Mawile neared Gardevoir, the panic across her face changed to focus. Gardevoir didn't see it until Mawile's horns snapped closed.

Mawile, with Gardevoir trapped in her maw, slammed down to the ground. "Play rough!" I yelled. A dust cloud picked up as Mawile started attacking Gardevoir. Soon, the sounds stopped.

"Who won?" Liam asked.

"Not sure yet," I replied. He knew who won.

The dust cleared. Gardevoir stood tall, taking in controlled breaths, while Mawile was sprawled across the ground, beaten. "Gardevoir."

I ran to Mawile. She was awake and in pain, but still trying to stand up. "It's over now," I said soothingly. "Relax. You did well"

"Three to zero," Liam said. "Still, I'm impressed."

"Impressed?" I asked. "I got wiped across the board! You barely got a scratch on you, while I'm down three pokémon! And you are impressed?" Frustration rose from within me. "I will not be patronized!"

"And you aren't being patronized," a suddenly defensive Liam said. "I swear. Look, I knew I would probably win." I gave him a dirty look. "Okay, almost guaranteed. But I didn't want to see if you could beat me. I wanted to see if you could learn on your own, in the middle of a fight. And you did. You even managed to catch Gardevoir off guard, which isn't an easy feat, trust me. You passed my test."

"So, that's it?" I asked. "You're going to train me?"

"No," Liam said. "You are going to train yourself."

"How?"

"You'll see. Let's head inside and get some rest. You'll have a long day tomorrow."


	5. Endurance and Willpower

"Everyone up!" Liam yelled.

"What?" I mumbled. Liam, dressed in bike shorts and a tank top, stood in the doorway to the room. "What time is it?"

"Time to train," Liam said. "Head downstairs once you're dressed."

As Liam walked away, Mawile poked her head up from her bed in the corner. "Maw?"

I threw the covers off. "You heard the man," I said.

After getting dressed in workout clothes, and keeping Mawile awake, my pokémon and I headed downstairs. "Good morning," Liam said.

The sun shone low in the sky. "I think it's still night," I replied.

Liam smiled. "Hungry?"

My stomach growled. "What's for breakfast?"

"Not sure yet," Liam said. "We'll worry about that after the morning jog."

"Morning what?" I asked.

The morning jog was simply a lap around the entire island. Liam and his pokémon ran almost every morning, except for the rare occasions he wasn't home. Now that I was Liam's pupil, I would run it with my pokémon as well.

Everyone gathered on the beach behind Liam's house. Jolteon was standing the farthest forward. A Hitmonchan, Hitmontop, and Hitmonlee stood behind it, followed by all of the Tyrogues. Ninetails, Marowak, and Sylveon were next, with Gardevoir, Metang, Mawile, Sylveon, Liam, and myself in the back. "Any last words of wisdom?" I asked.

"Take it at your own pace," Liam replied. "This is just a wake up lap. There'll be a time to push yourself later. Oh, and Gyarados is at the half way point. If you're about to pass out, let him take you back. Ready?" I nodded. "On your marks! Get set! Go!"

Everyone started running. I was left in the rear as Liam passed Ninetails and Marowak with ease, Gardevoir right behind him. Metang, Mawile, and I were falling behind as Ninetails, Marowak, and Sylveon pushed ahead. My hair started bristling as Jolteon passed me. We just started, yet Jolteon was already on lap two.

We passed the halfway point, under the watchful eye of Gyarados. Sylveon trotted towards Gyarados, not used to actual running. He looked at me, as if asking my permission. I nodded before pushing on.

It hurt to breathe. Slowing down, I took slower, deeper breaths. Mawile ran just in front of me, breathing hard. Metang hovered nearby, keeping an eye on us. Jolteon passed by again, never seeming to slow down.

Two steps, breathe in, two steps, breathe out. The island was larger than I thought. Maybe it was the fatigue talking. My muscles burned and my lungs ached. I didn't know how much longer I could keep running. I could always stop, saying I reached my limit. The thought passed by as Jolteon did again. "Hanging in there?" I huffed.

"Maw. Wile." She wouldn't give up. Not as long as I was still going.

Liam's house appeared in the distance, the pokéball coloring standing out against the blue sky. We were so close. Jolteon passed by again. Determination grew within. I wouldn't get passed again.

Against the cries of my muscles, I ran faster. Mawile got her second wind as well, never letting me pass her. Closer and closer. I was breathing with every step. Liam's house grew nearer. Almost there. Crying out, I pumped everything I had into my legs. I charged past Mawile. The hair on the back of my neck started to stand up. I pushed as hard as I could, giving myself one last burst of speed. Jolteon passed by right before I passed Liam's house.

Exhausted, defeated, I lost focus. My feet hit each other. The sand stopped my fall. My first breath on the ground had more sand than air, forcing me on my hands and knees as I coughed. Lungs clear of sand, and completely drained, I fell onto my right side.

Mawile took several steps before falling on the sand next to me. We both lay on the beach, breathing heavily. "I said don't push yourself," Liam said.

"Didn't want," I breathed, "Jolteon. To pass. Again."

"He passed you plenty of times before you got here," Liam said. "Why was the last one so different?"

"Don't. Know," I replied.

Liam smiled. "It's called determination. I'm glad you have some." Liam offered me his hand. "The air's better up here." I let him help me up, holding me so I didn't fall. Gardevoir picked up Mawile, helping her off the warm sand. "Hands above your head." I did as Liam said. Clear air rushed into my lungs. Liam walked me over to the soft grass, where the pokémon were resting.

"Sylveon?" I felt a familiar touch along my side.

"I'll be fine," I said. My breathing was already returning to normal. A headache I didn't realize I had was slowly going away. Liam helped me sit down in the grass amid the Tyrogues. "Thanks."

"No problem," Liam said. "Ready for a demonstration?"

"Of what?" I asked.

"Hitmonchan and I are going to box," Liam said.

The Tyrogues were rather surprised to hear that. I was downright shocked. "What?"

"Hitmonchan!" Liam yelled.

"Chan?" I knew those big boxing gloves weren't for show. I started to worry about Liam.

"Let's box," Liam said.

Liam and Hitmonchan stood face to face. Hitmonchan fired off a rocket of a punch, and Liam dodged it. Hitmonchan fired another, and Liam dodged again. As Hitmonchan threw more punched, and Liam dodged them, I wondered what Liam was doing in the ring with Hitmonchan. My answer came when Liam blocked one of Hitmonchan's punches before striking with one of his own.

Hitmonchan sidestepped, avoiding the punch. The two went back and forth, neither one gaining any ground. The stalemate was broken when Hitmonchan connected with Liam's face. Instead of sprawling across the ground, Liam used the momentum from the hit to spin his body, landing a spinning kick on Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan recovered, only to see Liam in the middle of a haymaker. Liam connected, staggering Hitmonchan. Liam charged, ducking under Hitmonchan's counter-jab, and landed a powerful uppercut.

Hitmonchan hit the ground hard, slowly getting back on its feet. Liam and Hitmonchan faced each other, taking in deep breaths. Hitmonchan tapped his gloves together twice, Liam repeating the motion with his bare hands. They stepped towards each other, each fighter extending the right arm. When the two arms meet, Liam and Hitmonchan dropped the fighting stance and smiled.

"Hitmonchan." The pokémon looked ready for round two.

"You're hitting pretty hard yourself," Liam said. "We'll definitely go again sometime. But not now."

Hitmonchan nodded. Liam walked over to me, a smirk on his face. "Whoa," I breathed. "How?"

"I've been training as hard as my pokémon for almost twenty five years," Liam replied.

"Are you training me to fight like that?" I asked.

"No," Liam said. "That's something you'll have to learn for yourself. Now, let's get something to eat. There's more training to be done today."


	6. Fear and Abandonment

Several weeks passed by. Under the supervision of Liam, I grew strong. Muscles I didn't know I had were pushed to the limits. It was a strange feeling, training as hard as a champion. Still, I felt better than ever and ready for any challenge in my path.

My first challenge was to spend a couple days on Beddleman's Island to look for some new pokémon so I could expand my roster. Liam suggested I take Gardevoir along as a watchful guardian. As much as I wanted to say no, my gut said yes. My instinct led me here, so I would listen to it again.

The sun was setting as Mawile, Gardevoir, and I strolled along a path through the island's large forest. "How about here?" I asked Mawile.

Mawile looked around before nodding. "Mawile."

I took the large pack off my shoulders. Hard to imagine carrying something this heavy all day without breaking a sweat.

"Gardevoir." My watchful guardian was asking how I felt. I seemed to understand pokémon better than before. Another thing Liam taught me.

"Not too bad," I replied, unrolling a bedroll. "I almost forgot I was carrying the large bag. Liam really knows what he's doing."

Gardevoir smiled faintly. She never allowed herself to show emotion, except for the occasional battle surprise and when I talked about Liam. I wondered how long the two of them had been together.

Hearing Mawile's stomach rumble focused me on the present. "Hungry?"

Mawile blushed. "Maw."

"It's okay," I said, chuckling. "Here." I gave Mawile something to much on before pulling out a sandwich for myself. "What about you?" I asked Gardevoir.

"Gardevoir." Not hungry.

I sat, munching idly on my sandwich, when I felt a strange presence nearby. Mawile looked up, a confused look on her face. "I feel it too," I said. "Gardevoir?" Gardevoir didn't respond.

I looked at Gardevoir. The look on her face was pure terror. Her mouth moved without sound several times. "Gar." she finally said. "Gar, gar, gar."

Something scared Gardevoir senseless. "Gardevoir?" I asked, standing. "What's wrong?" Remembering the strange presence, I turned to look where Gardevoir was looking. A pair of eyes glared back at me.

"Mawile." She was spooked as well. Something felt wrong.

"We have to move," I said, grabbing my bedroll. "Gardevoir!" Gardevoir looked at me. "We have to get out of here." Gardevoir stood there, motionless. "Stay close, Mawile." I grabbed Gardevoir's hand and dragged her along the path, Mawile running just ahead of me.

We didn't stop running until we found the nearest town. I dragged Gardevoir into the pokémon center. She never stopped stuttering her name. "Is she all right?" A nurse with pink hair asked.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "I need to make a video call."

"Uh, right this way," the nurse said, confused. She led me to a side room with a video-booth. "I'll be up front if you need anything."

"Thank you," I replied as the nurse left the room. I dialed Liam's number.

Liam answered on the second ring. "What'd you forget?" he asked.

"Gardevoir is in the middle of a panic attack," I said quickly, moving her in front of the view screen.

"Gar." She looked at the view screen, seeing Liam's face, and blinked. "Gardevoir."

"What happened?" Liam asked her.

"Gardevoir." She looked down at her feet.

"Zoe," Liam asked, "did you see the eyes she was talking about?"

"Yeah," I replied. "They were purple, with a black slit. They scared Gardevoir senseless and I just grabbed her and ran."

Liam stood there, deep in thought. "I think that was a Banette," he said at last.

"A what?" I asked.

"Ghost-type pokémon," Liam explained. "A doll possessed by hatred."

I glanced at Gardevoir. Even after seeing Liam, she still seemed scared. "That doesn't explain why Gardevoir freaked out."

"That's not important," Liam said. "Stay away from that pokémon. Gardevoir, teleport back here."

"Gardevoir." Still shaken, Gardevoir teleported. She appeared behind Liam.

"I'll send Gardevoir back when she's feeling better," Liam said.

I nodded, ending the chat.

* * *

The next morning, I was buying some snacks at the pokémart when I overheard a little girl arguing with her father. "But I don't want that doll!" the little girl said. "I want my Little Suzie back!"

"Well," the father said, "what about this one?"

"That's not Little Suzie either!" the little girl wailed. "I want my Little Suzie!"

The father looked at wit's end. "Excuse me," I said, stepping into the conversation, "but where's her doll at?"

The father looked me up and down. "You're not from the academy, are you?" he asked.

"No," I replied.

"Then maybe you can help me," the father sighed. "Jesse lost her doll during the car ride here. There's not a lot of variety here, and she's set on getting her doll back."

"Her name is Little Suzie," the girl yelled, " and she's out there, alone and afraid! We have to rescue her!"

I smiled and knelt down. "I'll see if I can find Little Suzie for you," I told the little girl.

"You will?" the girl said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Our house is two building left of the pokémart," the father said. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," I said. "C'mon Mawile."

Mawile led me back onto the roads. We looked around for any pokémon or Little Suzie, with no luck on either front. We spent the better part of the day wandering around.

The forest started to get dark. "Must be getting late," I said, checking my watch. The watch said it was 5:38. The sun wouldn't set for another couple of hours.

Mawile grabbed my hand. "Mawile." The darkness unsettled me, and terrified her.

I felt a chill in the air, coming from behind me. Mawile stiffened. I turned towards the chilling presence. A patch of darkness had two purple eyes. Slowly, Banette formed around the eyes, sending chills down my spine. "Banette."

Mawile stepped out in front of me, shaking. Liam's conversation entered my mind. I gently pushed Mawile behind me. "Little Suzie?" I asked. "Is that you, Little Suzie?" Banette stopped. "I spoke to Jesse. She misses her Little Suzie. She's afraid that she'll never see you again."

"Banette?" The pokémon looked like it was about to cry.

"Really," I said. I pulled a pokéball out of my bag and held it out to Little Suzie. "I can take you home."

"Banette." Little Suzie smiled as it walked up to me and touched the pokéball. Banette disappeared into the small orb. The pokéball shook gently in my hand.

The darkness lifted, letting sunlight filter in through the trees. "Mawile." She was almost as relieved as I was.

"Let's go," I said.

Mawile led me out of the forest and back to town. Along the way, I wondered if it really was the best idea to give a young girl, who wasn't even a trainer, a Ghost-type. A plan formed in my mind to make everyone happy. It all depended on Jesse.

I knocked on the door two houses down from the pokémart. Jesse and her father opened the door. "Did you find her?" Jesse asked.

"I did," I said, "but Little Suzie changed. She's a pokémon now." Jesse's father flinched. I wondered if he knew if Little Suzie could become a Banette, or if she was one already. "Would you like to see her?"

"Yes please," Jesse said.

I pulled out Little Suzie's pokéball, sending the doll out. Little Suzie stood before Jesse, the two nearly identical in height. "Banette."

"Little Suzie?" Jesse asked. "Is that you?"

"Banette." Little Suzie nodded happily.

"It is you!" Jesse said, running to her doll. The reunited pair hugged each other and cried. "I missed you."

"Banette." Strange that a pokémon full of hatred would be so happy to see its owner again.

"We can't keep Little Suzie," Jesse's father said at last. "At least, not like that."

"What do you mean?" Jesse asked. Little Suzie looked scared. The image of the brat kicking Sylveon popped in my mind.

"You aren't a pokémon trainer," Jesse's father said. "Little Suzie's a pokémon now. You can't keep her."

"If I may," I said, "I have an idea."

"And what would that be?" Jesse's father asked sternly.

"I'll hold on to Little Suzie until Jesse is a trainer," I said. "As soon as Jesse can take care of Little Suzie, I'll return Little Suzie to her."

"Sounds reasonable," Jesse's father said, trying to suppress his surprise at such a viable plan. "What do you think Jesse?"

"It sounds okay," Jesse said. "I mean, if it's okay with Little Suzie."

"Banette!" Little Suzie was overjoyed to hear that she'd be Jesse's doll again, if not today.

"Take care of her," Jesse said, "or else I'm coming to get you."

I knelt down, looked Jesse in the eye, and said, "You have my word, as a pokémon trainer, that I will take good care of Little Suzie."

"Okay," Jesse said. "Bye Little Suzie. Bye, uh, what's your name?"

"Zoe," I replied, putting Little Suzie back in her pokéball.

"Bye Zoe," Jesse said.

"Good-bye, Jesse," I said. Jesse's father took the young girl inside, and I started heading back to Liam's island, where I'm sure he had some choice words for me.


	7. Rivalry

"So let me get this straight," Liam said. I just told him about my adventure involving Little Suzie. "You stopped for snacks, ended up encountering the same Ghost-type I specifically told you not to, then you decided to show it off to a young girl?"

"Correct," I replied.

"So, where's my snack?" Liam asked.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You stopped for snacks," Liam said, "so I'm assuming you got me something."

"Uh, no," I said. "Sorry."

"Eh, I tried." Liam shrugged before turning towards the kitchen.

"So," I hesitantly asked, "you aren't mad about me handling the situation by myself?"

"What? No," Liam responded. "Job well done. Don't take stupid risks like that again, but it all worked out in the end."

"Thanks," I said, "I guess."

Liam and I spent the rest of the day going over pokémon types and effectiveness. I never realized how hard it was to memorize every last type, what was strong and weak against it, and how a second type can cancel out or increase the first type's weaknesses.

The sun set some time ago as I put the flash cards down. "Man, this got complicated," I said.

"Yeah," Liam replied, handing me a sandwich. "You could always just focus on what your pokémon are strong and weak against, but that's leaving you open to surprising new combination. It always pays to have a backup plan." He bit into his own sandwich.

"Can I ask you a question?" I said, looking at the sandwich.

"Sure," Liam replied, mouth full of food.

"Why is Gardevoir afraid of Ghost-types?" I asked.

Liam set his plate down. "It's not a pleasant story."

"If you don't want to tell me, it's fine," I said.

"It's okay," Liam said.

"Gardevoir?" She was in another room, peeking in with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Jolteon," Liam said, "take Gardevoir out for some air."

"Jolteon," Jolteon gently nudged Gardevoir out the door.

Liam cleared his throat. "It happened after a long day of training. I was in the kitchen, making supper, when I heard Gyarados roar." Liam took a deep breath. "I ran outside. Gardevoir was standing in the moonlight with a strange gleam in her eyes. There was a Mismagius in front of her, just chanting away. It was tormenting Gardevoir, so I sent out Gastly. I drove the Mismagius off, but the damage was done." Liam sighed. "Gardevoir wouldn't leave the house after dark for months. Her training suffered. She would even wake up from nightmares about Mismagius. Still does on occasion. Even feeling a Ghost-type is enough to bring back the torment."

"Is that why I've never seen your Gastly?" I asked.

Liam nodded. "The two were almost inseparable before. Now, Gardevoir can't bear to be in the same room with Gastly." Shaking his head, Liam stood. "I'm going to make sure Gardevoir's all right."

"Sure," I said. I stood up before heading to my bedroom on the second floor. There's something he's not telling me. As I settled in bed next to Sylveon and Mawile, I wondered what his secret was before drifting of to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

A month later, Liam needed fresh fruits. I missed the sense of adventure away from Liam's house, so I joined him as he set out for the forest on Beddleman's Island.

The trees bearing fruit towered next to the path. Marowak climbed the trees and tossed down fruit, Gardevoir and Metang caught the falling fruit, and Mawile, Liam, and I placed the fruit in bags. The simple labor was relaxing. The day felt refreshing, until we ran across a familiar face.

"Hello, do-gooders," the spoiled brat from before said. "How's the poor life treating you?"

"Leave us alone," Liam said. "Go be spoiled somewhere else."

"How dare you!" the brat yelled. "You will not talk to me in such a way." I ignored him, focusing on the fruits Metang was handing me. "How dare you!" the brat yelled again. "I am Edward Beddleman III, and you will not ignore me!"

"Can't talk to him, can't ignore him," Liam said, shaking his head. "He should really decide what he wants people to do." I nodded in agreement.

Edward's face turned red. I grinned. "You insolent peasants!" Edward yelled. "I will teach you to show your betters some respect!" Edward threw a pokéball. I wasn't shocked to see it was an Umbreon

Gardevoir started to step forward, but I put my arm out. "Sylveon and I will handle this," I said.

"Sylveon!" He stood facing Umbreon. This would definitely be interesting.

"Use feint attack!" Edward ordered. Umbreon made several false rushes at Sylveon before charging at a blind spot.

"Counter attack!" I yelled. Edward seemed confused. I wasn't yelling a move; I told Sylveon to counter attack.

Sylveon spun around, facing Umbreon, and kissed it. The draining kiss stunned Umbreon, causing it to stand on shaky knees. I felt the breeze as Sylveon prepared fairy wind. I smiled, remembering that Fairy-type attacks are super effective on Dark-type pokémon. Umbreon slammed into a tree, laying in the grass.

"Get up!" Edward yelled. "Don't just lay there! Get up!"

"Fairy beats Dark," I said.

Edward withdrew Umbreon. "How much for Sylveon?" The change was obvious. Edward went from spoiled brat to all business. "I assure you, money is not a limiting factor. Name your price."

"Well?" I jokingly asked Sylveon.

Sylveon looked at Edward, the trainer he'd evolved for, then at me. "Sylveon." He turned he nose up at Edward.

"No deal," I said.

Edward's face didn't change. "Just name a price," he said again. "No number is too high."

"Read my lips," I said. "Not. For. Sale."

As Liam and I started leading our pokémon away, I heard the familiar sound of a pokémon being released from its pokéball. "You should've taken the money," Edward said. "Bullet punch."

I turned around, facing my attacker. A Machoke was charging my with blinding speed. At first, I wondered how much Edward paid for a Machoke with an egg move, then I wondered how much it would hurt to get hit by a Machoke with an egg move. I raised my arms in a defensive position. A familiar mouth-shaped horn rose in front of me. Mawile stood ready for the attack. My eyes shut involuntarily.

I heard an impact, feeling the shockwave from the hit. Opening my eyes, I saw Mawile standing in front of me, unharmed. Machoke never made it that far. Standing between Mawile and Machoke was a pokémon I'd never seen before. It looked similar to Gardevoir without a skirt, except it was blue instead of green. Machoke's fist was currently in the palm of the strange pokémon.

"What?" Edward yelled.

"Gallade." If this pokémon was a Gallade, why was it blue?

"Chain takedown!" a female voice yelled. I glanced towards the sound. A young woman, wearing blue jeans and a pink shirt, was standing behind Liam.

Machoke readied another punch, but Gallade dropped and spun. The sweep kick let Machoke in midair. Gallade rose with incredible speed, landing an uppercut that sent Machoke into the air. As Machoke struggled to regain any sense of where it was, Gallade teleported higher in the air. The blade on Gallade's arm extended out with a purple glow. Gallade dove into Machoke, sending them crashing into the ground.

Gallade moved out of the crater, ready for a counter attack that never came. Machoke rested at the bottom of the crater, defeated. "How could this happen?" Edward said.

"Beat it, kid," the woman said. "Before I tell Gallade to beat you."

Edward put Machoke into its pokéball before running down the path back to town as fast as he could, yelling curses at us the entire time.

"Thanks for the save," I said, turning around. "Huh?"

Liam and the woman had their arms wrapped around each other. Gardevoir was looking at Gallade with a respectful stare, and Gallade was smiling. "I missed you," Liam said at last.

"I'm sorry," the woman said. "I took longer than I thought."

"I don't blame you," Liam said.

"Can I get an introduction?" I asked.

"Right," Liam said. The two of them split apart. "Amanda, this is my newest pupil. Zoe, this is my daughter."


	8. Painful Pasts

Liam, Amanda, and I, along with out pokémon, relaxed with grins on our faces. Amanda had Liam's knack for cooking, and they decided the best way talk about previous travels was through baking. The plan backfired, as they spent the majority of the time discussing what ingredients to use. This resulted in plenty of sweets with virtually no knowledge of where Amanda's been during her adventure.

Liam let out a content sigh. "I think I just blew my sweet intake for the next couple of years," he said, "but I don't care."

"I missed having an oven," Amanda said. "I'd probably weigh too much if I owned one though."

"So, now that we're full of sweets," Liam said, "let's talk."

"All right," Amanda said. "Where should I start?"

"Anywhere you like," Liam said.

"I wouldn't know where to begin," Amanda said.

"Well," Liam said, "how many gym badges do you have?"

"Twenty four," Amanda said, "one from each gym in Johto, Hoenn, and Unova."

"Almost ten years, and you only have three complete sets?" Liam asked.

"Yeah," Amanda said. "I never lost a battle though. My pokémon were always training to be stronger. Something I learned from you."

"Gardevoir." Liam looked his closest friend. Gardevoir was standing in another room. Her eyes were both scared and determined.

"Excuse me for a second," Liam said, joining Gardevoir. A short while later, Liam poked his head through the doorway. "Gardevoir and I are going to do some late night training. Don't wait up." And with that, Liam was gone.

I idly scratched Sylveon, wondering what kind of training Gardevoir wants at this time of night. "Did Dad ever tell you why I left?" Amanda asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"No," I said. "Liam didn't seem to eager to talk about it."

"Would you like to know?"

"Not if it hurts to talk about it."

"Well, Gallade thinks you need to know," Amanda said. She looked into my eyes with her own pale blue ones. "I agree."

"In that case," I said, "I'll listen."

"Thank you," Amanda said. " It started when my mom died. We were on vacation, traveling from one league to the next. Dad was hanging out with other trainers while Mom and I were resting in our room. Our cruise ship hit something, or something hit it, I don't know which. The ship capsized and started taking on water, causing people to panic. Dad organized the trainers, using Gyarados and Kirlia to move people to shore that couldn't do it themselves. We weren't so lucky. The dresser in the room pinned Mom to the wall, fracturing her leg. She commanded her Ralts to teleport me to shore. By the time Dad found me, hugging Ralts and crying, it was too late. He went after her, getting the scar in the process. At least she was buried properly." Amanda took in a breath. "Dad involved himself in his training after that. Physical trials took the mind off emotion pain. Then Marowak died."

"Marowak?" I asked. "But I thought-"

"Dad's first pokémon," Amanda said, "and the current Marowak's mother. He was broken after that. Dad did his best to take care of me, but we both knew that I needed to distance myself from him, or else I could grow up sulking and hateful. So, he got me a trainer card and let me travel on my own. Ten years old, one parent dead, the other gone, and I was on my own. Ralts consoled me that first night, reminding me I wasn't alone."

"He's stronger than you give him credit for," I said. "He's been through a lot more after you left."

"I'm sure," Amanda said. "Do you know what it's like, to think there's nobody left to love you in the world?"

"Yeah." I sighed, taking in a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand," Amanda said. "I'm going to check on Dad. Good night."

"Good night," I said. Mawile looked up at me knowingly, gently grabbing my hand. The emotional pain pressed down on me. I forced myself to my feet, and slowly walked towards my room. The pressure kept building. I held it back as much as I could, letting a lone tear out. After changing into some sleepwear, I slid under the covers.

I couldn't sleep. As drained as I was, sleep didn't come. Rolling over, flipping the pillow, shifting the sheets, even counting Mareep didn't help. Sylveon couldn't sleep as well, though probably because he couldn't find a good spot on the bed due to my constant shifting. "Sylveon."

"I know," I said. Mawile and Metang were sound asleep. "How about a walk?" I asked. The pressure was gone, but the memories weren't.

"Sylveon." He waited patiently while I got dressed again.

The cool air felt wonderful. I figured I'd walk around the training grounds once or twice to clear my head, then see if sleep would come again. My plans changed when I spied Liam standing next to the forest. Curiosity got the better of me, so I hid behind a tree and waited. After taking a deep breath, Liam sent out a pokémon.

"Marowak," Liam said, "I missed you."

"Gastly."

"I'm sorry. Every time I send you out, I remember the first time I saw you. A young Cubone, alone for the first time, crying and dragging a bone through the dirt."

"Gastly."

"My sister caught you, excited that she finally had a Ground-type. When that Geodude came out of nowhere and knocked her senseless, I grabbed your pokéball. We saved Leanne together, and I kept you afterwards."

"Gastly."

"When we moved to Hoenn afterwards, and I caught my first pokémon, the two of you got along so well."

"Gastly."

"I know you miss her. But anytime Gardevoir sees you, she locks up. She hates not being able to see you."

"Gastly."

"My first two pokémon, unable to work together like they used to. And it's my fault. If only I didn't go looking for you after you died. Maybe Gardevoir would be at peace with you as well."

"Gastly."

"You're right."

"Gastly."

"I'd love to sit with you tonight."

Silence greeted my ears. Cautiously, I peered around my hiding spot. Liam was sitting next to a Marowak with a large scar along the back of its skull.

I decided to leave Liam alone with his pokémon. Silently, I picked up Sylveon and made my way back to my room. Slipping under the covers again, I began to think about what Liam meant by "looking for you after you died." Somewhere along the way, my thoughts were replaced by a dreamless sleep.


	9. Fighting a Fighter

Someone was pushing me. Opening my eyes, Mawile stared back at me. "Mawile."

"I'm up," I said, yawning. "What's wrong."

"Mawile." She blushed.

"Hungry?" I asked. Mawile nodded. "All right. Let me get some clothes on." I kicked the covers off before realizing I slept in my clothes. The conversation between Liam and Gastly came back into my mind. "How about that? Dressed and ready to go."

"Mawile!" She ran out the door, nearly knocking over Amanda.

"Careful!" Amanda yelled after Mawile. "What got into her?"

"She's hungry," I said. Suddenly, the smell of breakfast met my nose. "That's why she wanted me to wake up."

"How'd you sleep?" Amanda asked.

"Well," I lied.

"Good," Amanda said. "Come eat. Dad made pancakes."

"Sounds good." I followed Amanda down the stairs, laughing as Mawile was trying to steal a plate of pancakes from Liam.

"I don't know which mouth to throw them at!" Liam yelled jokingly.

"Mawile!" She was ready to tackle Liam.

"Be civil, Mawile," I said. "If you hurt him, he can't make more."

"Hey now," Liam said as Amanda chuckled. I grabbed two plates, handing one to a very anxious Mawile. Sylveon sleepily made his way into the kitchen. Liam grabbed a bowl of pancake pieces and set it down in front of Sylveon. "Eat up everyone. We're all training today."

* * *

I stepped into the morning sun. Sounds of pokémon battles reached my ears. Liam stepped outside, took a deep breath, and said, "Sounds like its test day."

"Test day?" Amanda asked.

"Every month or so," Liam explained as he led us towards the practice fields, "Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop–or as I like to call them, the Three Mentors–battle the Tyrogues. If you win, you go up a training bracket. Lose, you don't. Occasionally, if a Tyrogue evolves and stays, then it'll attempt to beat one of the mentor. The Three Mentors are always looking for the next mentor."

"What happens when a mentor loses?" I asked.

"Depends on the winner," Liam said. "Usually, the mentor does extra training with the winner to better prepare it for the mentoring roll. Occasionally, if the winner is incredibly gifted or the mentor getting old, the winner immediately takes the place of the mentor. Normally, I'm not involved with the decision, but occasionally I'm called upon to decide the best course of action."

"Rogue!" A Tyrogue came flying from the direction of the practice field. Gardevoir caught it mid-flight before gently setting it on the ground.

"Are you going to take that?" Liam asked.

"Tyrogue!" It seemed ready to fight Liam.

"Then get back in there and show the mentors what you got!" Liam yelled.

"Rogue!" The Tyrogue dashed back to the fight.

"Tough, aren't they?" Amanda asked.

"More than you think," Liam said.

We were finally close enough to the practice field, only to see an organized tournament in place. Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop were standing in their own circle of Tyrogues, with a line of Tyrogues extending towards the forest. A Tyrogue went enter the ring, fight the mentor in the ring, and either lose or win, and join the circle or reenter the line. "Organized, aren't they," Amada remarked.

"Simple, yet effective," Liam said. "And there's a problem."

"What?" I asked.

The problem made itself apparent. There were three Hitmonlees, and two of them obviously wanted to replace the mentor. "Those two must be strong," Liam said. "Its pretty rare for two to stay at the same time."

"Ninetails." The fox trotted up to Gardevoir.

"Gardevoir?" Apparently, they were communicating.

"Nine Ninetails. Tails. Ninetails." The constant repeating of Ninetails made my head spin, but Gardevoir listened intently.

"Gardevoir." She obviously understood what Ninetails was saying. Gardevoir's eyes started glowing purple. There was a slight disturbance in the air between Gardevoir and Liam. I realized Gardevoir was transferring her knowledge to Liam.

"Of course that would happen," Liam sighed. "The mentor wants to retire, and his replacements are of equal skill. This could get ugly."

Liam started running towards the now gathering crowd of Tyrogues. Amanda and I followed close behind. By the time the three of us got there, the fight was in full motion. There was nothing we could do but watch as Hitmonlee battled Hitmonlee. They moved with such speed and power, I wondered how they even managed to keep track of each other. Soon, it became apparent one was losing the fight. The other showed no mercy, pummeling the other into submission.

The winner didn't stop there. Even after winning, the fight continued. The fight was to the death. Or so they thought. "Stop the fight," Liam said.

I almost missed it. Gallade dashed between the two combatants, stopping both of their attacks. Gardevoir followed close behind, preparing a devastating psychic attack should one of them try anything.

"Don't move," Liam commanded. He was obviously well respected by all of the pokémon here, as nothing moved. Liam walked up to the Hitmonlee mentor. The two of them had a conversation, with Gardevoir's help. After several tense minutes, Liam walked back to Amanda and me. "I need your help," he said.

"How can I help?" Amanda asked.

I need you to catch one of the Hitmonlees," Liam said. "And the only way to do that, without ruining the sanctity of the practice fields, is to beat it in a duel."

"You mean, a pokémon battle, right?" Amanda asked.

"No," Liam said. "You need to prove you're better than whichever one you're trying to catch."

"A one on one fight with a Hitmonlee?" I asked. "Are you crazy?"

"You just need to block five attacks," Liam said. "After that, the Hitmonlee will submit and the crisis will be averted. What do you say?"

"Can we pick which one we fight?" Amanda asked.

"The mentor would prefer if you caught the winner," Liam said. "He's too unforgiving to be the next mentor."

"All right," I replied. "Here goes nothing." Liam didn't say anything as I stepped into the arena. "I'm challenging the winner."

The winning Hitmonlee wretched himself free of Gallade's grip. "Hitmonlee."

I took a simple combat stance. The Hitmonlee and I stared at each other for several long moments. Hitmonlee charged me, leaping in the air. I blocked the first kick. The second followed immediately after. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground. Slowly, I started getting up. Before I could regain my footing, Hitmonlee jumped again. Bothof his feet impacted my chest. I flew through the air, stopping when I hit a tree. Liam and Amanda helped me off the ground. "You okay?' Liam asked.

My vision blurred a bit, but I shook it off. "I'm actually enjoying this," I said.

"Getting beat up?" Amanda asked.

"Fighting," I said.

"Loosing," Liam corrected, helping me to my feet. "Break a leg. Actually, don't."

Standing on my own two feet, I stepped towards Hitmonlee. My steps turned into strides. Surprise registered in Hitmonlee's eyes as I charged him. He decided to launch another kick at me. That kick confirmed his tells. This was going to be easy.

Hitmonlee kicked me in the gut. Instead of flying away, I tightened my abs, took the hit, and grabbed Hitmonlee's leg. The momentum was there. I simply twisted and released. Hitmonlee flew through the air, twisting to land on his feet. He looked up, only to get a face full of my foot. I smiled as Hitmonlee staggered. Enraged, Hitmonlee charged me.

Hitmonlee's left arm jutted out. I stopped his right leg. One. His right arm moved high. I blocked a low left kick. Two. Hitmonlee's left arm moved low as his right arm jutted out. I stepped back, blocking both of Hitmonlee's spinning kicks. Three, four. Hitmonlee leapt in the air. I recognized the spinning motion. One leg slammed to my left arm. The other, looking to break the block, hit harder. I added my right arm to the block, softening the impact. Five, six. "I win," I said, wincing.

"Hitmonlee." He looked like he was ready for another fight, but chose to lower his guard instead. I pulled out a pokéball, tapping him with it. The soft rolling of the pokéball before it caught Hitmonlee felt more aggressive than usual, but that could have just been my imagination.

"Good job," Liam said. "Looking for his tells, goading him into a rage, then stopping that massive blast of a kick at the end. You're not a bad fighter."

"Thanks," I said. The ground started getting larger. Mawile caught me. "Was I falling?"

"Mawile." She didn't seem happy with me.

"Did I have fun without you?" I asked.

"Mawile." She crossed her arms, and I ended up in the dirt.

Liam knelt down, looking in my eyes. "You still have training to do."

Groaning, I let Amanda help me up. "At least you got a great story out of it," she said.

I smiled. "Who'd believe me?"


	10. Friendly Competition

"Say what?" I asked.

The butler, for lack of a better term, cleared his throat. "Young Edward Beddleman III would like for you to compete against him in an official pokémon sparring match to be held at four o'clock this evening."

I glanced back at Liam and Amanda. Amanda nodded. Liam had a thinking look on his face. "All right. I'll be there."

"Very well," the butler said. "Be at the gym precisely half an hour before. At that time, pokémon will be finalized and rules will be stated. Good day." He turned away before marching towards the shore.

"Dad?" Amanda asked.

"I wonder what angle he's playing," Liam mumbled. "Whatever the case, I'll be right behind you."

I nodded and said, "The match is still a while away, but I want to scope out the gym first."

"Agreed," Liam said.

"Let me get my bag," Amanda said. "I'll meet you there."

Amanda ran up the stairs as Liam and I walked out the door. I was eager to get moving. Liam shared my enthusiasm, but paused at the cry of a Flying-type. "Strange," Liam said. "That Braviary has been circling the island for a couple of days now."

"Why is that strange?" I asked.

"It's almost like he's looking for something," Liam replied.

"I have a battle soon," I said.

"Right," Liam said. As we headed for the shore, Liam glanced back at Braviary several more times. Something about that bird was bothering him, but I had my own worries at the moment to care.

* * *

The butler looked at his watch. Edward was five minutes late. When he finally walked into the gym, Edward looked around. "What?"

"We need to review the rules, and you are late," the butler said.

"That's why I was late," Edward said, "so you could've gone over the rules all ready and I'd start battling without all of the boring talk."

"Since this is an official sparring match," the butler said, "you have to be present for the rules. Now be quiet and listen."

"Not good," Liam mumbled. I flashed him a questioning look. Liam shook his head.

"There will be three sets of battles," the butler said. "During a set, you may not switch pokémon. Both the winning and losing pokémon will not be allowed to compete the rest of the competition. There will be no interference from trainers during the battle, such as attempting to enter the battle arena or using items such as potions. The trainer is allowed to issue commands and activate a pokémon's Mega Evolution."

"Simple enough," Edward said.

"Each trainer is also allowed assistants. The assistants are allowed to guide, but not control, the trainer's actions. Would either of you like to exercise your right to have assistants?"

"Yes," Edward said. "I don't battle without my team."

"Yes," I said.

"If there are no more questions, let us begin." The butler led us through a set of double doors. As I passed through the doors, I realized I was in over my head. The main drawing point was the arena, a large piece of hilly land surrounded by water. The arena was surrounded by cameras. There were several newscasters there as well, though they stayed far enough away from the trainer podiums to prevent an eavesdropping scheme.

The butler led Edward left, so I went right. The podiums were positioned in the middle of the arena, unlike the traditional spots at each end. Edward and I climbed onto our podiums, facing each other.

"Listen closely," Liam said. "Edward aims to humiliate you in front of an audience. Do not use Sylveon. This may be a sparring match, but there is still a loser."

"Right," I said.

"Breath mint?" Liam asked.

"What?" I whirled around. Liam was offering me a couple of mints. "My breath is fine, thank you very much!"

"That's not it," Liam chuckled. "I usually take a couple before a match. Helps me focus." To illustrate this point, he took the breath mints and popped them in his mouth. He didn't chew them. I suppose everyone has their own tricks.

Wait a second. "Did you say, before you battle?" I asked.

"Usually," Liam said with a little difficulty. "Official matches that I try to win, more so than sparring. By the way, there are cameras here. Put on a show."

"Choose your pokémon!" a rather unenthusiastic announcer said.

"Metang, go!" I yelled, throwing its pokéball.

"Metang!" The large pokémon landed with a thud.

"Go, Golem!" Edward sent out a pokémon targeting Metang's weakness. Ground may beat Steel, but Steel beats Rock.

"Begin," the announcer sighed.

"Bullet punch!" I yelled.

"Dig!" Edward yelled.

Golem was faster than I thought. Metang struck Golem, serving to only send it further into the ground. Golem was burrowing through the ground, looking for an opening.

"Get off the ground!" I ordered.

Metang floated up. I felt the disturbance as Metang used its psychic ability to find Golem. Satisfied, Metang was ready to strike.

Metang positioned itself at the perfect ambush location. Golem, thinking it was a mistake, erupted from the ground. Metang let loose the prepared meteor mash. Golem was blasted back, landing in the water.

"No fair!" Edward yelled at me. "You didn't tell it to do that!"

I guess Edward forgot that this was being broadcasted across the region. "He said I could give orders, not that I had to!" I yelled back.

"Pay attention," Liam whispered.

Fearing an attack, I looked at Metang. Instead of an attack, another Metang was floating next to it. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Evolution," Liam said.

The two Metangs hovered near each other before a blinding light erupted between them. I blocked out the light. When the light died down, a new pokémon floated where the two Metangs were moments before. "Metagross!"

Golem climbed out of the water. It seemed surprised its opponent changed. The two stared at each other. Equal in strength, and with a weakness to the other, this match was about to get interesting.

"Yell hammer arm," Amanda said, surprising both Liam and me. "I think Metagross knows that move by evolving."

"Hammer arm!" I yelled. Anything was worth a shot.

"Gross!" One of Metagross's legs started glowing. Metagross charged Golem, hitting it with incredible force. Golem was blasted back, barely managing to stay on dry land. The attack tired out Metagross though. An idea popped in my head.

"Metang, uh, Metagross!" I yelled. "Bullet punch, then hammer arm!" Metagross looked at me. I spun in a circle before punching one of my hands.

Metagross smiled. "Gross!" Metagross charged at Golem. Golem leapt back. Metang closed the distance, swinging at Golem, and missing. I saw the smile creep on Edwards face. I smiled right back. The plan wasn't to hit Golem with the first attack. Spinning rapidly, Metagross used hammer arm.

The hammer arm, combined with the rotation speed from bullet punch, blasted Golem into the wall with the force of a meteor. The arena shook in response. Golem didn't move from the crater in the wall. "Winner, Metagross!" the announcer yelled, suddenly full of excitement. "What an upset! With the technically legal change from Metang to Metagross, the young trainer Zoe wins round one."

Metang changed into Metagross. My eyes watered up. Breathing became difficult. I fell to my knees, hiccupping. Metang changed into Metagross. "Dad!" Amanda yelled. She sounded so far away. "Dad!"

I started sobbing. Amidst the hiccupping sobs, Liam looked me in the eye. He didn't say anything to me. I felt myself being lifted onto my feet and led out of the arena.

There was something causing an emotional breakdown, but I couldn't tell what. No, I knew exactly what. Metang changed into Metagross. Metang was my father's pokémon. Metagross wasn't. When Metang evolved, I lost the last remnant of my father.


	11. Unsportsmanlike Conduct

I dropped to the ground, hysterical. Someone finally lifted me off the floor, carrying me into a side room. I felt wood under me as the person gently set me down.

"Gallade!" It was faint, almost like a distant memory. Looking up through my tears, Amanda and Gallade blocked the entrance to the room. The people carrying cameras looked upset, but were unwilling to challenge the duo.

"Zoe, look at me," Liam said. "Zoe!" I looked at Liam. "What happened?"

"Metang," I whimpered, "isn't Metagross." I buried my head in my hands after saying it aloud.

Someone was talking to me, but I couldn't make it out. Old scars opened up, blocking everything but pain. The tears wouldn't stop. "Zoe, listen to me," Liam said. I could barely hear him over my sobs. "Evolution is a part of life."

"I didn't want Metang to change," I said coldly. Part of me didn't want to snap at Liam like that. The other part of me was in control, however.

"Why?" Liam asked, a hand on my shoulder.

"He was all I had left of my parents," I said. The words flowed out of me as tears blinded my eyes. "My parents died when a drunken teen slammed into their car. My uncle couldn't afford to take care of me, so he gave me Metang and sent me on my way." I took a deep breath. Somehow, I had calmed down. The tears stopped flowing. "The first night was the worst. Confused, alone, and afraid, I cried. A Mawile came over to investigate the sounds." I made a sound between a laugh and a sob. "Metang almost attacked the poor thing. The Mawile never left my side after that."

Mawile hugged my arm. "Mawile."

"Zoe, I have a plan," Liam said, a grin on his face. "You sit here, sulking, while I go get something to save the day."

I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but after he teleported away, I decided to just sit here and continue sulking. Metagross hovered nearby. Sighing, I stood. The emotion weight threaten to hold me down. I was stronger than before. Metagross looked surprised as I stepped towards him. "I'm not upset about you growing," I said softly. "I just wasn't prepared to be on my own."

"Metagross!" He mocked insult.

"Mawile." She grabbed my hand.

I smiled. It felt alien. "You're right. I'm not alone."

"That's not sulking," Liam said. "Better?"

"Not really," I said, wiping the tears away.

"Presents help," Liam said, holding out a hand. He offered me a strange stone.

"It's no diamond," I mumbled, picking up the rock. The long cord hanging off it meant that it was a necklace. I tied it around my neck with little thought.

"It's better," Liam said, wrapping a bracelet around the base of Mawile's mouth-horns. "If Mawile ever gets into a bind, just touch the stone," Liam instructed.

"Okay," I said. I took a couple deep breaths, wiping my face with my shirt. "I'm ready.

"Listen up!" Amanda yelled through the door. "If I see any cameras outside this door in three seconds, Gallade will smash them!" Three seconds later, Amanda opened the door. "All clear!"

Liam and I entered the arena room. The damage caused by Metagross and Golem was repaired. "They certainly work fast," I said.

Liam helped me onto the podium and said, "No time to waste."

Edward smiled upon seeing me. "Are you done crying like a little girl?" he taunted.

I threw one of my pokéballs. "Hitmonlee!" He bounced from one foot to the next.

"Go, Staraptor!" Edward sent out a Flying-type. This was going to be an uphill battle.

Staraptor flew above Hitmonlee. "Keep it on the ground!" I yelled.

"Wing attack!" Edward yelled.

Staraptor flew around Hitmonlee, waiting for an opening. Hitmonlee presented one. Staraptor ignored the weak spot, instead charging Hitmonlee straight on. The boldness caught Hitmonlee off guard. Staraptor's wing launched Hitmonlee into the air. While in the air, Hitmonlee drop kicked Staraptor. They both hit the ground.

"Brave bird!" Edward commanded.

Hitmonlee was too close. Staraptor took flight, flying low and straight at Hitmonlee. Without proper time to dodge, Hitmonlee struck with a mega kick. Both pokémon were blasted back. Staraptor and Hitmonlee stared at each other. Staraptor was weakened by the recoil from brave bird, but Hitmonlee was suffering from the Flying-type weakness.

Hitmonlee took one step towards Staraptor before falling onto the ground. "Winner, Staraptor," the announcer said. As I returned Hitmonlee to his pokéball, Staraptor flapped its wings several times before fainting.

"Close one, Hitmonlee," I said to the pokéball in my hand.

"Are you going to cry again?" Edward asked. "At least you have a reason this time!"

"Mawile, get in there," I said.

"Mawile." She jumped into the ring, ready for a fight.

"Machamp, go!" Edward yelled, throwing a pokéball.

"Machamp!" Edward managed to evolve his Machoke. Fighting-types were weak to Fairy-type moves, but the only one Mawile knew was play rough, a physical attack. If Mawile got too close to Machamp however, then the fight would be over. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Don't get close!" I ordered. "Keep your distance!"

"Mawile!" I all ready knew Mawile was going to attempt something risky.

"Bullet punch!" Edward was moving to close the distance. Machamp was usually a slow pokémon with a fast punch. That move could close any distance in a moment's notice.

Mawile leapt into the air, preparing flamethrower. Machamp's fist entered Mawile's mouth-horns. The jaws clamped down, trapping Machamp as the flamethrower escaped through the small opening around Machamp's arm. Machamp swung its arm, sending Mawile airborne. Mawile fired off a flash cannon. Machamp took the blast directly.

"Bullet punch!" Edward ordered.

Mawile was still in the air. Machamp charged forward, striking Mawile. Mawile bounced off a wall before landing on the ground. As Mawile tried to get up, Machamp picked her up. Machamp grabbed each of Mawile's arms and held her mouth-horns closed.

"Mawile!" I yelled.

"It's a shame, really," Edward said. "You should learn to lose with dignity. Break her arms."

Mawile cried out in pain as Machamp slowly increased the pressure on Mawile's arms. I ran forward. Liam grabbed my arm, holding me back. "If you enter the ring, you lose."

"If I don't," I said, not wanting to finish the thought. Something thumped against my chest. Remembering the strange rock Liam gave me, I held it.

Beams of light shot out from the rock. Several more erupted from Mawile's rock. The lights met. It looked like Mawile was evolving, except she was glowing purple instead of white. There was a flash of light.

I stared at Mawile, though I hardly recognized her. Mawile was taller, and her legs were purple instead of yellow. The biggest change, of course, was her mouth-horns. They were larger, fiercer, and there were two sets. Machamp held only one set of mouth-horns shut. The second set seemed to glare at Machamp.

I shook off my awe. "Flamethrower!" I yelled.

Flame leaked out of the closed set of mouth-horns. The open set blasted Machamp in the face. Machamp covered its face with all four hands, inadvertently setting Mawile free. Mawile flexed her arms, then nodded at me. This fight wasn't over yet.

"What just happened?" Edward asked.

"Flamethrower!" I yelled.

Mawile blasted Machamp with fire from both sets of jaws. In the panic, Machamp's arms became tangled. Mawile, recognizing the opportunity to get close, jumped on Machamp. After a minute of playing rough with Machamp, Mawile put some distance between her and the Fighting-type.

Machamp staggered towards Mawile, exhausted and burned. "Bullet Punch!" Edward commanded. Machamp started running towards Mawile, but lost its balance and started falling. While attempting to stop its fall, Machamp tangled its arms again.

"Flash cannon," I said. There was no need to yell anymore.

Mawile opened both sets of jaws. The light enveloped Machamp. Afterwards, Machamp lay on the ground, unmoving.

"The winner, Mawile!" the announcer yelled.

I looked at the cameras positioned around the arena. They weren't focused on me, or Mawile, or even the announcer bouncing up and down in his seat. No, the cameras focused in on Edward arguing with his assistants. I wanted to yell a response, try to get a rise from the brat, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Let's get out of here," Liam said.

I glanced at Mawile. She started glowing purple again, before returning to her normal self. I waved her back, and she ran to my side. "Mawile!"

"That was awesome," I said, picking her up. "Are you okay?"

"Maw." She flexed her fingers, bent her elbows, and rotated her shoulders.

"That was amazing!" Amanda said. "Your first Mega evolution!"

"And I will find out exactly what that is, right?" I asked Liam.

"Uh, sure," Liam stuttered. "As soon as we get back home."

"I'm holding you to that," I said as we started leaving the gym.


	12. The Beddleman Estate

Liam, Amanda, and I, along with our pokémon, were sitting in Liam's living room. Even though I beat Edward, it wasn't an easy win. A dark presence seemed to fill the room. Edward would get even with me.

"So," Liam said, breaking the silence, "mega evolutions."

"I'm still in the dark here," I said, sitting up. "I mean, Mawile went through a mega evolution, but I'm not sure how."

"Let's start from the basics," Liam said. "Mega evolution requires three parts: a Key stone, a Mega stone, and a bond. That so called rock around your neck is the Key stone. Mawile has a Mawilite, one of the several types of Mega stones. The bond, of course, is the connection between trainer and the pokémon."

"Okay, so when Mawile and are both holding these rocks, err, stones," I said, "Mawile can turn into a unstoppable beast of a pokémon?"

"Pretty much," Amanda said.

"There's more to it than that," Liam said, "and depending on the region, even the history of Mega evolution itself is different. But you probably don't want a history lesson, let alone two, so I'll go straight into the details.

"When a trainer activates a pokémon's Mega evolution, the pokémon temporarily evolves into a more powerful form. Depending on the pokémon, this new evolution could even change the type or ability of the pokémon. This allows Mega evolutions to completely change the outcome of a battle, especially if used at the right time.

"However, there are some drawbacks to Mega evolutions. First off, only one pokémon per trainer per battle. For example, you could've Mega evolved Metagross, but then Mawile couldn't Mega evolve. Secondly, Mega evolution puts a big Tauros's-eye on the pokémon's back. Third, if a trainer knows about Mega evolution, and how to counter it, they could completely negate the benefits of the evolution, using your Mega evolution to win the battle." Liam paused. "Got it?"

"Mega evolutions, while useful, have their drawbacks," I said. "The only thing I don't understand is why only one pokémon per battle can Mega evolve."

"One pokémon per battle per trainer," Liam said. "Each trainer can Mega evolve a pokémon."

"But how do they know?" I asked. "Just because I Mega evolved Mawile, does the stone say, 'Sorry, but that's it. I can't be used until next battle'?"

"I never understood that either," Amanda admitted. "Why is that?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Liam said. "My best guess is that when you Mega evolve a pokémon, you add some of your own soul to that pokémon. Doing that to two pokémon is impossible for the simple fact you can't focus yourself to two places at once."

"Like a light reflecting off a mirror," I said. "One mirror can't focus the same light on two different targets."

"More or less," Liam said, "though that's the general idea."

"What about canceling the Mega evolution?" Amanda asked. "You still can't Mega evolve another pokémon after that, right?"

"My best guess," Liam said, "is your body needs to recharge after exerting itself. While in battle, your body doesn't have time to recover. After the battle, no matter how soon the next battle is, your body recovers what part of you was missing."

"There's a couple holes in that theory," I said. "Still, it's better than nothing."

Liam opened his mouth before closing it again. The look on his face went from scholar to fighter. Silence prevailed for several tense seconds. After the moment passed, Liam got up and opened the front door. Jolteon trotted into the room, a letter in his mouth. "Who was it?" Liam asked.

Jolteon dropped the letter. "Jolt!"

"Really?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked at me. "It's for you."

Curious, I picked up the letter. My name was written in large formal letters. Opening the letter, I pulled out a piece of paper that screamed wealth. "Dear Trainer Zoe," I read aloud, "I would like to apologize for Edward's behavior towards you. In the future, Edward would do well to remember his manners, lest he suffer the consequences. In order to repay the young master's hostility, I am inviting you to join me for dinner at my estate. Enclosed is an invitation. Please arrive at the time listed on the card, or send a letter to politely decline. I will respect whatever choice you make. Regards, Edward Beddleman I."

Liam looked at me. "Edward Beddleman," he said. "The man who put this island on the map. A well respected man, for what it's worth. His son, Edward Beddleman II, is the principle of the school, and a kind hearted if utterly foolish man."

"Friend or foe?" I asked.

"Neither," Liam said. "They're both rich and think money or displays of wealth and power can make problems disappear. Neither of them are trainers, I think."

"Sound's like Edward is a shiny Mareep of the family," Amanda said.

"I actually knew Eddy before the school was made here," Liam said.

"Eddy?" I asked.

"Eddy Beddleman II," Liam said. "He helped his dad run a large chain of berry shops that specialized in foreign and rare berries. Eddy actually introduced me to my rival, a confident blonde with pale blue eyes. She was always trying to beat me at something or another." Liam sighed. "After Jamie died, Eddy gave me this island as his way of saying sorry. It's the only way he knew how."

I looked at the picture of Liam with his wife, a confident looking blonde with pale blue eyes. "You married your rival?" I asked.

Liam nodded. "Best decision of my life."

Amanda and I looked at Liam for a moment. He didn't say anything, lost in sweet memories. "So," Amanda asked me, "what are you going to do?"

"There probably won't be any harm," I said. "I mean, as long as the brat doesn't try anything."

"I'm sure he won't," Liam said. "But, just in case, take your pokémon."

* * *

The Beddleman Estate was a large white mansion built at the edge of the island, surrounded by a large fence. Several guards, with an Absol and Houndoom, walked around the perimeter of the fence, discouraging ne'er-do-wells. As I approached the estate, wearing a nice blouse and skirt, a large guard approached with an Absol on his heels. "Name and business," he said.

"Zoe," I said. I handed the guard my invitation.

The guard looked over the invitation. "We've been expecting you," he said. "Follow me, madam."

"Don't call me madam," I said. I know he was being polite, but I wasn't thirty. "Miss is fine."

"Of course, miss," the guard said. He led me to the entrance of the estate, stopping next to a small booth. "The guest has arrived," he told the guard in the booth.

"Ten minutes early," the booth guard said. "I'll inform Mistress Beddleman."

The guard I was following turned to me. "Please hand over your pokéballs."

My hand went to my hip, covering my pokéballs. "I can't do that," I said. "I'm a trainer."

The guard didn't flinch. "It's standard procedure," he said calmly. "You'll receive them after you leave the estate."

"If that's the case," I said, "inform Mistress Beddleman I can't stay."

"Hold on," the booth guard said. "Mistress Beddleman doesn't want us to touch her pokémon. Something about Edward trying to buy back a pokémon he got rid of."

"Very well," the first guard said. "Follow me, miss."

I entered the estate, marveling at how large the property was. The guard's Absol trotted behind me, giving me a slight push every time I gawked at something for too long. I still wondered how they managed to fit a tennis court, two swimming pools, a flower garden, a large barbeque patio, a garage, and a helipad on one piece of land.

As the guard and I reached the front doors, a woman in a regal cocktail dress greeted us. I started to feel underdressed. "Greetings," the woman said. "I am Mistress Katherine Beddleman. Unfortunately, my father-in-law left on urgent business and my husband is working late with one of the school's competitive teams. However, dinner will still happen as planned. Please, come in."

"Thank you," I said.

"Leave us," Mistress Beddleman said to the guard.

"Yes ma'am," the guard said.

Mistress Beddleman let me to the kitchen, babbling about how the estate was made and how much time and money went to each room. She turned to look at me as we entered the dining room. "Oh," Mistress Beddleman said, "I seem to be boring you. Not every young girl will grow up to be a lady. Though tomboys still have their uses, I suppose."

I kept an even look on my face, pretending I wasn't listening. "I'm sorry," I said. "I was thinking about one of the art pieces and didn't catch that last thing."

"Don't worry about it dear," Mistress Beddleman said. "Please, have a seat."

The large dining table had enough room to fit twenty people. I sat down several seats from Mistress Beddleman. A waitress appeared at my side, placing silverware around me. "What would our esteemed guest like to drink?" she asked.

"Water will be fine," I said.

"Of course." The waitress disappeared as fast as she appeared.

"What is being a trainer like," Mistress Beddleman asked. "My son rarely talks about it."

I saw the look of boredom on her face. "Depends on the trainer," I said simply.

Mistress Beddleman waited for me to continue. I sat in silence. Bait for the trap. "There are different kinds?" she asked.

"Sure," I said. "Trainers who battle, trainers who perform in contests, and trainers that just like to have companionship." The waitress set an empty glass and a large pitcher of water next to me. "Thank you."

"Dinner will be served shortly," the waitress said.

"Tell me about the trainers wanting companionship," Mistress Beddleman said. The look of boredom was on her face, but her eyes sparkled with interest.

"Some trainers just want a friend," I said. "As companions, they may not be the best to battle with, but for gardening, or housework, or just a friendly ear, many people wish to just own one or two pokémon."

"But aren't pokémon dangerous?" Mistress Beddleman asked.

"So are people," I said, "and cars, and helicopters. Even water isn't that safe, if you think about it. The trick is to form a bond with your pokémon. As long as part of you went into training that pokémon, you should have nothing to fear."

The look of boredom was gone. "But aren't pokémon hard to train?" Mistress Beddleman asked.

"Some more than others," I said. "Depending on which pokémon it is, how you caught it, and even its personality, a pokémon can be your best friend or a worthy opponent. Of course, most companion pokémon trainers opt for a friendly and easily trained pokémon."

"Interesting," Mistress Beddleman said. "The way my son talks about pokémon, they may as well be monsters that deserve to be enslaved and controlled."

"The way he treats his pokémon, maybe," I mumbled.

"I didn't catch that," Mistress Beddleman said.

"Is Edward joining us for dinner?" I asked loudly.

"My son is being punished for embarrassing the family name," Mistress Beddleman said. "He is confined to his room for the rest of the month."

"Dinner is served," the waitress said, arriving with several platters of food. "Enjoy."

Mistress Beddleman and I remained silent during our meal. The meal itself was marvelous. I couldn't name all the food that was placed in front of me, but it all tasted glorious. When asked for dessert, I decided I didn't want to explode and declined.

"How was dinner," Mistress Beddleman asked.

"I haven't tasted food that good in forever," I replied. "Thank Mr. Beddleman for me."

"I will be sure to do that," Mistress Beddleman said. "Now, for repayment. My son wants you to see the setting sun tonight."

"What a strange request," I said.

Mistress Beddleman smiled and said, "My husband built this house because of the setting sun. The beauty seems to wash away any trace of sadness in your body."

A guard appeared at my side. She wasn't the same one that led me into the building. "Follow me please," she said.

"Thank you for your hospitality," I said, standing.

"Of course, dear," Mistress Beddleman said.

The guard led me into the gardens. At the edge of the gardens was a cliff, creating a beautiful view of flowers, water, and the setting sun. I stared in awe. It really did remove all the pain I felt. The guards radio beeped. "There's a group of reporters approaching the estate," the radio said. "All guards to the front gates."

"If you aren't here when I get back," the guard said, "you'll regret it."

"I'm not going anywhere," I replied. The guard walked away.

I was left alone to stare at the setting sun. The sunlight glinted off the water. A slight breezed ruffled my hair. I felt at peace. As the sun dipped below the horizon, something in my mind clicked.

The guard left me alone on the Beddleman Estate. Edward the Brat, though confined to his room, was still a Beddleman. All of the guards worked for the Beddleman Estate. Edward could still get even if he wanted. This was the perfect time. I let out a nervous laugh. The brat couldn't be that smart.

I heard the footsteps. Jumping up, I turned around. A Machamp was running straight at me. The brat outsmarted me. No time to summon one of my own pokémon, I raised my arms in a defensive stance. Machamp used one arm to push my arms down. Two arms hit my chest. The last one my head.

I was flying through the air. My back met ground as I slid from the impact. The ground disappeared. Machamp must have picked me up. Through my daze, I spotted the edge of the cliff rising in the distance. My mind struggled to keep up with what was happening. The answer wasn't a good one. Machamp punched me off the cliff.

The edges of my vision grew dark. Time slowed to a crawl as I fell to the water below. As the darkness grew, I realized I might hit rocks. Either way, a fall from this height would kill me. Unable to focus enough to do anything, I accepted my fate. The darkness took over. Before I lost consciousness, I felt a thud, before feeling my body rise into the air.

* * *

"What happened to her?"

"Head trauma. She needs immediate medical attention."

"I'll get Blissey."

"Hurry."

"Blissey!"

"She needs help."

"Blissey."

"Will she make it?"

"She's a survivor. She'll pull through, I know it."


	13. A Simple Choice

Darkness. No, it wasn't darkness that surrounded me. There was nothing. I floated in an empty void.

Panic gripped at my chest. I took several deep breaths, if I was even breathing, trying to calm myself. Thoughts seemed to keep away the insanity, so I started thinking.

How did I get here? Where is here? The last thing I remember is getting hit by Edward's Machamp. Did the punch send me to another dimension? No, that's preposterous. If that was the case, then where was I?

Someone spoke. The words floated past me, close enough to hear but too far to understand. I couldn't even recognize the voices. My mind wasn't working right. I need to know where this is. I want to leave this place. Why am I stuck here?

I tried to suppress the panic. Floating in nothingness destroyed sanity quick. I needed to focus on my body, a concrete object in this void. The fancy clothes I wore to dinner were still here, along with my pokéballs. I thought about throwing one, but quickly dismissed the idea. I didn't want to risk losing a pokémon here.

Two choices. Two choices presented themselves to me. I knew nothing of these choices, only that they were here, floating alongside me. To my left, I saw nothing, but felt wool sheets and a warm afternoon sun. To my right, a bright light appeared, bringing feelings of happiness.

The last thing I wanted to do was float in this void for the rest of eternity, but the wrong choice could be worse. I crossed my legs, as to sit on the floor, and thought. Both the choices were positive. The left held whispers of pain and sorrow, but they were long forgotten and reminded me of strength. The light on my right felt innocent and pure, a land of no wrongs. The strangest thing, though, was that neither choice felt wrong.

I don't know how I long I sat, or floated in a sitting position, in the void, but time didn't matter to me anymore. The overwhelming decision in front of me confounded me, and I wasn't even sure why it was so important. It was as if my entire life was going to change based on this one choice. I closed my eyes to better focus my thoughts.

My eyes shot open. A familiar voice called out to me. Looking towards the light, two silhouettes appeared in the distance. I recognized them instantly. "Mom? Dad?" I called out. My voice echoed in the empty expanse, though the sound had nothing to bounce off of.

The love was overpowering. I knew it was them. The larger of the two silhouettes offered me a hand. I took one last glance at the darkness that was my other choice before floating towards the love and happiness the light offered. My parents were closer now than ever before. I reached out a hand to touch them for the first time in years.

A small sound stopped me in my tracks. I withdrew my hand, wanting to hear the sound again. There it was again, longer this time. The sound was coming from the darkness. Curiosity filled my body. I had to know what was making that sound.

I floated away from the light, hoping my eyes would adjust to the darkness. After several minutes, that effort proved fruitless. As I focused on the darkness, a strange thought entered my mind. All I needed to do was open my eyes. "Open," I said to the darkness that was me. "Open your eyes. Just open your eyes." Nothing was happening. "Open," I ordered myself. "Eyes, open." A trickle of light pierced the darkness. "C'mon, open up!" I yelled. "All you need to do is look! Open! Your! Eyes!"

The darkness opened slightly. Through the crack, I saw two eyes peer at me. The eyes made that sound again. "Mawile."

"Mawile," I repeated after my pokémon. "Hang on, I'm coming." The light behind me started to fade. I turned around, seeing the silhouettes extending their hands towards me as the light died. "I'm sorry," I said to the figures, "but someone needs me more than I need you." The silhouettes smiled. I couldn't see their faces, but I knew they were smiling. Though I was presented with two choices, neither of them wrong, I felt I made the right choice. Filled with vigor, I floated towards Mawile's eyes. I wasn't going to abandon you, I thought. I'm never going to let you feel the pain I have.

* * *

"Wake up. Please, wake up."

My eyes struggled to open. I cracked them open, seeing Mawile stare back. "Mawile?"

"I'm here," I whispered.

"Maw." She started to cry.

I shakily moved one hand to Mawile's head, trying to pet her. "It's okay."

"Mawile!" At the sound of Mawile's cry, two sets of steps sounded through the house. Liam appeared in the doorway, Amanda right behind him. Upon seeing my open eyes, Liam chuckled, a broad smile growing on his lips.

"You're okay!" Amanda yelled, charging past Liam. She grabbed my hand. "We were worried there for a minute."

"I almost didn't come back," I whispered.

"Mawile?" Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't cry," I said. "Your voice brought me back."

"Mawile!" Mawile grabbed my hand, determined to never let me go again.

"Help me up," I whispered. Amanda lifted me into a sitting position. "Thanks."

"That was some knock on the head you took," Liam said. "You've been out the better part of a week."

"How long, exactly?" I asked.

"Five days, eighteen hours, and twenty minutes," Amanda said.

"Wow," I said. My body started to work again. Muscles started itching for movement. My stomach rumbled. I need to use the restroom. "My body's waking up," I said.

"Huh?" Amanda asked.

"Help her to the toilet, would you?" Liam asked Amanda.

"Oh!" Amanda said.

After that ordeal, which wasn't as interesting as it sounds, I sat on the bed without falling over. I let out a content sigh as Mawile hugged me. "Where's the rest of my pokémon?" I asked.

"Still in their pokéballs," Liam said. "Mawile sensed you were in trouble and broke out of her pokéball to protect you."

"Maw." She hugged me tighter.

"I'm not going anywhere," I said. "So, what exactly happened?"

"Edward wanted some payback for what happened at the gym," Liam said. "So, after you were invited to the Beddleman Estate, Edward hatched a plan. You'd be left alone, Machamp would rough you up a bit, and then a guard would take you out of the estate and warn you not to talk about it. Machamp hit you harder than planned, giving you a concussion and sending you off the cliff. You'd be dead if not for a guardian angel of yours."

"A what?" I asked.

"Braviary!" The large Flying-type perched outside the window.

"You saved me?" I asked.

"Braviary!" The pokémon seemed pleased with himself.

"Braviary saw what happened at the estate," Liam said. "He actually caught you mid-air and brought you here."

I looked at Braviary. Scars littered his body, testaments to battles won and lost. He looked at me with respect. "Thank you," I said.

"Braviary." He seemed humble.

"Did you want to join me?" I asked. "Have you been watching me?" Braviary nodded, unashamed. "I wonder what brought this on?"

"Braviary respect scars," Liam said. "The first day I noticed him was the day you caught Hitmonlee."

"Oh," I said. "So you think I'm a strong trainer?"

"Braviary." He was proud, as if he found a worthy partner.

"Open the window," I said. "And bring me a pokéball."

Amanda opened the window, letting Braviary fly inside. The large Flying-type perched almost as tall as I stood. "What now?" Liam asked, handing me a pokéball.

"Your choice," I said, extending the pokéball to Braviary. It contemplated the choice I offered him, before pecking the pokéball. The pokéball rolled around in my hand. It stopped, binding Braviary to me. I throw the pokéball out the window. Braviary appeared outside, a proud look in his eyes. "That makes six," I said.

"Congratulations on having a full team," Liam said.

I smiled, about to regret my next question. "When do I start training again?"

"Tomorrow," Liam said, "under close supervision. You'll be brought back up to speed before I start pushing you again."

I patted Mawile on the head as I took a deep breath. As I exhaled, a thought popped into my head. If Liam and Amanda were downstairs, who asked me to wake up?


	14. Back to Normal

Two weeks after waking up from death, I started advanced training again. Only this time, my push-up count doubled overnight.

"You're looking better than ever," Liam said after an afternoon run.

"Yeah," I huffed. "Beat my best time by twelve seconds."

"I've been thinking," Liam said, "that maybe it's time to teach your pokémon some new tricks."

"What do you mean, new tricks?" I asked.

"Well, Sylveon knows a couple Fairy-type moves," Liam said. "Gardevoir could teach him better ones. Also, you should probably teach him swift, so he's not a one trick Ponyta."

"Okay," I said. "Anything else."

"It's Mawile," Liam said. "You only have one physical attack, even though Mawile excels in physical attacks. Mawile should trade flash cannon for steel head."

"Oh, so now you're an expert," I said. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I was waiting for you to ask me," Liam said. "You should've known my pokémon knew some pretty cool moves."

"You act like I've seen them use them," I said. "You wiped the floor with me with basic moves."

"The point I'm trying to make," Liam said, "is that you might want me to train your pokémon. Under your supervision, at least."

"Sure, sure," I said. "Practice with Sylveon, and I'll get to work with Mawile."

"Actually," Liam said, "I wanted to train Mawile with Gyarados. You should work with Gardevoir and Sylveon."

I sighed. "Okay, fine. Mawile!"

"Maw?" She smiled and waved at me.

"Liam wants to teach you a new move," I said. "I want you to train with him, okay?"

"Mawile?" She seemed confused.

I bent down. "Liam didn't tell me what the move was," I whispered, "because I wanted you to surprise me."

Mawile's eyes gleamed. "Mawile!"

"Let's go," Liam said. He and Mawile jogged down to the beach.

Gardevoir walked next to me. "Gardevoir."

"Liam said you could teach Sylveon better Fairy-type moves," I said. "Maybe he could learn swift as well."

"Gardevoir." The pokémon nodded.

"Sylveon?" He looked at me with curiosity.

"Gardevoir's going to teach you a couple of moves," I said.

Gardevoir touched Sylveon's head. Sylveon closed his eyes. Gardevoir distorted the air as she implanted the knowledge in my pokémon's head. Sylveon blinked several times before Gardevoir removed her hand.

"Neat trick, huh," Amanda said.

"What happened, exactly?" I asked.

"Dad almost always used Gardevoir after Marowak died," Amanda said. "Gardevoir's seen practically every move a pokémon can learn. All she did was impart what the other pokémon did to perform the move."

Sylveon closed his eyes. Pink stars materialized out of thin air. Sylveon opened his eyes and saw the stars. "Sylveon!"

"Good job," I said. Sylveon fired the stars at a tree. Every star hit the tree before dissipating.

"I don't believe it," Amanda said. "Gardevoir, trace Sylveon." Gardevoir nodded. After lifting a hand towards Sylveon, a slight expression of surprise flashed across her face. Gardevoir nodded again. "How about that," Amanda said, grinning. "Sylveon's ability is Pixilate."

"And that means?" I asked.

"Any Normal-type move becomes a Fairy-type move," Amanda said. "It's pretty rare for Sylveon to have that ability."

"Sylveon." He seemed satisfied with swift.

"Liam said you knew more powerful Fairy-type moves," I told Gardevoir.

Gardevoir did her mental transfer thing with Sylveon. Sylveon focused, trying to summon energy, but it didn't work. "Sylveon?"

"Gardevoir." Gardevoir closed her eyes. A small moon, appearing behind her, filled Gardevoir with light. A pink orb formed in front of Gardevoir's hands. Gardevoir opened her eyes, took aim, and fired the orb at a tree. The impact blasted away part of the tree. "Gardevoir."

"Sylveon." Sylveon closed his eyes. After a minute of nothing, a faint moon appeared. The light shone weakly. Sylveon formed a pink orb in front of his mouth before firing at a tree. The impact barely scratched the bark. Sylveon's ribbons dropped to the ground, defeat crossing his face.

"Keep at it," I said. "You'll get better."

"Sylveon." Encourage, Sylveon tried to create a full moon again.

I watched Sylveon for several seconds before Amanda's yelling caught my attention. "Incoming!"

I dove for cover. A large branch hurtled through the air before Gardevoir stopped it with psychic. "Where'd that come from?" I asked.

"I think Gallade and Hitmonlee are getting along," Amanda said. The blue Gallade fought Hitmonlee, both testing the other in one on one combat. There was blatant disregard for the foliage, as punches, kicks, and blade strikes snapped branches and crushed trunks.

"How long have they been going at it?" I asked.

Jolteon and Braviary rushed past, blasting me with air. The duo raced from one end of the island to the other in tests of speed and endurance. Amanda, after straightening her clothes and patting down her hair, continued as if nothing happened. "A couple of hours," she said. "They look like they're having fun."

"Sure they are," I said sarcastically. "The competition's only for fun, right?"

"At least a couple of our pokémon seem to be getting along," Amanda said. She pointed at Metagross, who was taking Marowak and Blissey on rides through the air.

My stomach growled. "How about some food?" I asked.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Amanda said, leading me towards the house.

* * *

I lay in the grass, soaking up the setting sun, when Mawile and Liam looked down at me. "Mawile!"

"Just taking a break," I replied. "Is that illegal?"

"Mawile!" She rushed away from me.

I sat up, looking at Mawile. "She's an energetic learner," Liam said.

Mawile ran up to a large tree. Liam nodded. Mawile's mouth-horns turned metallic in color before slamming into the tree. The tree took the hit well, but probably would be dented for a long time. "Mawile!"

"Iron head," Liam said. "Pretty effective move. All right, Mawile. Show Zoe that special move."

Mawile turned her back towards the open ocean. Liam whistled, a loud piercing whistle that made me flinch. A large rock emerged from the ocean, probably thrown by Gyarados. Mawile's mouth-horns opened up, collecting a large amount of energy. The energy was released in a large beam of white light. The beam destroyed the rock, raining chunks into the ocean.

"Wow," I said.

"Hyper beam," Liam said. "It takes a toll on the pokémon, so be careful using it."

I glanced at Mawile. She was breathing heavily. "Enjoy your training?" I asked.

"Mawile." She smiled.

"Cute thing," Liam said. "Ever thought about competitions?"

"A beauty pageant?" I asked. "Yeah, but the rules aren't the same as battling. I don't want to learn them."

"You just want to fight pokémon while wearing a cute dress, don't you?" Liam asked.

"Is that too much to ask for a beauty pageant?" I asked.

"If you aren't interested," Liam said, "then kick back and relax tonight. Gardevoir and I will be handing the trophies out tonight. If you flip the television on, maybe you'll see Mega Gardevoir."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Is Mawile mad that she missed lunch?"

"Mawile?" She was alarmed, realizing just how long she was practicing her new moves.

"Now you've done it," Liam said. "I'm going to have to restock the fridge again!"

"You should have fed her," I replied with a smirk.

"Hey, that's not-" Liam started before seeing Mawile run towards the house. "Don't you dare open that fridge!" he yelled after the hungry pokémon.

I chuckled to myself as I walked towards the house. A relaxing nap sounded like the best way to end such a great day.


	15. When the Real World Comes Knocking

"Hey, sit up," Amanda said, shoving my legs off the couch.

"Huh?" I asked, sitting up. I yawned. "What happened?"

"The contest is over," Amanda said. She offered me a muffin, which I gladly took. "Dad's handing out the trophy after the break."

I opened my mouth, ready to bite into the muffin, when I saw Mawile's large eyes. "Fine," I said, tearing off a piece and throwing it at Mawile.

"Mawile!" She smiled, munching on the piece.

"You shouldn't spoil her like that," Amanda said. "Hey!" Mawile's mouth-horns lightly nipped her leg. "That wasn't very nice."

Mawile smiled as she turned her back on Amanda. "Neither are you."

I blinked. "Did Mawile just talk?"

"She said her name just like every other pokémon," Amanda said. "You still napping over there?"

"Maybe," I said. I wondered just how well I was understanding my pokémon as I munched on my muffin.

A regal fanfare caught my attention. The television became the center of focus. An announcer rambled on about tradition and how everyone was a winner in their own right. I mostly ignored her, trying to catch a glimpse of Liam and Gardevoir. They must've been backstage. "And the winner of the Beddleman Pokémon Contest is," the announcer said, pausing for dramatic effect, "is Melinda and Sweety!" A young girl in a flower costume ran up to the stage with a Meganium. "Here to present the trophy is Pokémon Master Hotep and Gardevoir!"

"Wait, what?" I asked. "Liam is Pokémon Master Hotep?"

"You didn't know?" Amanda asked.

"I never asked his last name," I admitted. Master Hotep was a well respected trainer that, in an impressive display of skill, defeated the Elite Four from Johto and Hoenn, then several champions and hall of fame inductees, without resting his pokémon between matches. His disappeared from the public eye shortly afterwards, slipping from recent memory. The battle was replaced by the next big thing, and many people forgot about the old Master.

I looked at the screen with new eyes. Liam walked onto the stage, wearing black slacks, white shirt, black jacket, and a green scarf. Gardevoir followed closely behind. Liam smiled a broad smile before placing his hand to his neck. The Key stone in his scarf reacted with the Gardevoirite. Gardevoir seemed to Mega evolve with a grace that Mawile lacked. A flash of light hid the final transformation. Mega Gardevoir stood in the center of the contest stage. "Gardevoir."

The crowd went wild. I guess when you aren't a trainer, Mega evolutions are a big deal. Well, considering I'd never seen Gardevoir Mega evolve, it was a pretty big deal to me as well. "Wow," I said.

"And that's probably why he never told you," Amanda teased. "You'd fangirl all over him."

"Of course I would," I said. "Still, he doesn't brag about it."

"He never cared," Amanda said. "When he first showed me the video, I was eight years old. I thought he was the greatest pokémon trainer ever. He said it didn't matter if he was the best or the worst. The friends and family he made along the way mattered to him more than some trophy."

"But having a trophy is pretty cool too," I said.

"Of course," Amanda agreed.

"Get down!" Liam yelled. Amanda and I focused on the screen. Liam pushed Melinda to the ground as pillar of fire torched the wall behind them. An energy ball, turquoise in color, struck Gardevoir. The camera was knocked over before the picture died, leaving only static.

I stared at the television in shock. "We have to go," Amanda said, frozen in place. "We have to help."

I shook my head, shaking the stupor off. "Amanda!" I yelled. She turned her towards me, still in shock. "Get up."

Amanda took a deep breath before standing. "Don't fall behind!"

I put Mawile in her pokéball before following Amanda out the door. We ran down to the beach. "What now?" I asked.

Amanda whistled, a long low note. After several tense seconds, Liam's Gyarados appeared from the water, an intense look on his face. Liam must have sent him to pick us up. "Contest Hall," Amanda instructed as she and I climbed onto the large pokémon. "No time to waste. Hold on."

I held on as best I could. Gyarados tore through the water, creating a massive wave. It took no time at all to reach the Contest Hall. The seaside building, once a beautiful work of art, looked like a battleground. Smoke poured out of newly formed holes in the walls. "Oh no," I heard Amanda whisper. I hoped Liam was okay.

"Is that what I think it is?" A man asked.

"A red Gyarados!" A woman replied. "And it's mine!"

A pokéball bounced off Gyarados. The capture light covered Gyarados for a second before the capture failed and pokéball flew away. "Why didn't it work?" the man asked.

"Some else must own it," the woman said.

Gyarados let out a massive roar. I covered my ears and yelled, trying to block out the piercing sound. The roar stopped, the air filling with a strange energy. I felt the vibrations as Gyarados unleashed a hyper beam. "We have to move!" Amanda yelled.

Gyarados put his tail onto the ground in front of the Contest Hall. Forcing myself up, I followed Amanda towards the Hall. The man and woman that saw Gyarados were lying on the ground. They were still breathing, but definitely out cold. They wore simple clothing, with no unique marks or colors.

Amanda rattled the Contest Hall doors. "Locked," she grumbled.

"Plan B?" I asked.

Amanda sent out Gallade. "Break it down," she ordered.

"Gallade." He opened the doors with one kick.

I sent out Mawile. "Stay close," I said.

Gallade entered the building first, followed by Amanda, then myself, and last Mawile. The four of us crept through the interior of the Contest Hall. Silence greeted my ears. The halls were deserted. Fear of ambushes kept us quiet. After some time sneaking through the entrance hall, Amanda stopped and put her finger to her mouth. I froze, straining to hear anything. Sounds of a battle echoed faintly in the distance.

I nodded. Amanda mouthed something to Gallade. Gallade took an offensive stance before sprinting down the hallway. Amanda took off after him. I didn't hesitate to chase them. Mawile's quick footsteps followed my own. The sounds of a door opening sounded around the corner. As I turned the corner, Amanda ran through a set of double doors. I stopped at the entrance, catching a quick breath.

Looking inside, I saw Liam standing on the contest stage. Eight thugs surrounded the stage, each with his or her own pokémon standing in front of them. Jolteon and Mega Gardevoir stood center stage, breathing heavily. Gallade and Amanda stayed low to the ground, hiding behind the rows of seats as the moved towards the stage.

Liam sighed. He pulled out two pokéballs. Before Jolteon and Mega Gardevoir knew what was happening, Liam returned them to their pokéballs. "What now?" one of the thugs asked. "You've only got one pokémon left. We have eight."

Liam sent out a pokéball. Out popped a purple ball of poison gas. "Gastly." I wondered what one pokémon was going to do against eight pokémon, including a Mightyena, Alakazam, and Sandslash.

"Copy cat," Liam said. Gastly split into nine copies of itself. The original floated at center stage, while the rest floated towards each of the thug's pokémon. Each Gastly copy started shimmering, before transforming into the pokémon they were facing. "Elimination."

A Scyther slashed at the Gastly Scyther in front of it. The blade passed through without even touching the copy. The Gastly Scyther spread its wings, striking Scyther with a wing attack. The Scyther flew back, bounced off the ground once, and didn't get back up.

Each and every attack had the same effect. Didn't matter what type, move, or ability of the pokémon, the Gastly copies simply brushed the attack off before counter-attacking with a super effective move. I stared in awe as Liam eliminated eight trainers with one pokémon. Even for one as strong as Master Hotep, I didn't think it was possible.

"Looks like a good challenge," a man in a black jumpsuit said, stepping from the shadows around a door to my left.

"I'll say," a woman in similar clothing said, stepping from the same shadow.

They both threw pokéballs. A Tyranitar and a Lucario appeared on stage. "How about it?" the man asked. "You up for a real fight?"

"Gastly, transform," Liam said.

Gastly shimmered, before transforming into a Marowak. A large scar crossed the skull on its head, surround by several smaller scars.

"Go find Melinda," Amanda said. "I'll help Dad." I nodded. Amanda ran down to the stage as Gallade stepped next to Gastly Marowak. Liam looked surprised.

"Mawile." She started leading me towards the door where the duo in black appeared from. I followed, dumbfounded by Liam's ability and Gastly's power.

As I passed through the doors, I heard a disheartening conversation. "What about the girl?" the woman asked.

"Not important," the man said. "She can't beat J."


	16. Showdown

Mawile led me outside to a large balcony overlooking the ocean. A pale moon shone high in the sky. The winner of the contest, Melinda, was tied up off to the side. "I've been expecting you," A man in a black jumpsuit said. I assumed he was J.

"Probably not," I replied.

J turned around. "And you are?"

"Zoe," I replied. "Hand over the girl."

"How funny," J said. "The old Master sends his lackey to do his dirty work. I'm going to kill you now. Then Hotep will have to face me."

Something about J's face startled me. He really was going to kill me, just because he wanted a shot at one of the best pokémon trainers around. My hand clenched into a fist. "He would never give you the pleasure," I said.

J's eyes changed. He no longer thought of me as a distraction. Now I was a Bug-type in his food. "I was going to make it painless," J said. He sent out a fierce pokémon that sent chills down my spine. "Garchomp, dragon pulse."

Garchomp generated a turquoise orb in front of it. "You will not hurt her!" Mawile ran in front of Garchomp. Garchomp fired the orb, directly impacting Mawile.

"Mawile!" I yelled. The blast wave hit me. I held my ground, fearing for my pokémon's life. The vague fact that Mawile may have just talked washed over me. "Mawile!" I yelled again. There was a large dust cloud covering where Mawile was. I couldn't see movement.

"Pitiful," J said. "What a weak pokémon. Garchomp, finish her."

Garchomp started walking towards me. As I fumbled with my pokéballs, trying to decide who to send out next, a pillar of flame erupted from the dust cloud. Garchomp took the blast well, not even flinching. A flash of metal jumped out from the dust cloud. Mawile's iron mouth-horns hit Garchomp in the legs, sweeping off his feet. The mouth-horns opened up. Garchomp landed on the lower jaw. Mawile's large jaws slammed down while still iron. Garchomp cried out in pain. Mawile flung her mouth-horns over her head before opening them, sending Garchomp flying back towards J.

"What?" J asked.

Liam's teachings entered my mind. "Mawile is a Fairy-type," I said. "Dragon-type moves don't affect her. Play rough."

Mawile jumped on Garchomp before head butting it. Both pokémon were temporarily dazed. J used the opportunity to send out Altaria. As I reached for my pokéballs, Altaria flapped its wings at me. I flew back, sliding on the dirt.

After stopping, I jumped up. Altaria and Garchomp teamed up on Mawile, trying to gain an advantage. Mawile spewed flames from her mouth-horns, to no avail. Garchomp slammed a foot into the ground, spreading cracks through the gardens.

"Help!" Melinda yelled. She was sliding towards a large crack that lead to the water below.

Mawile focused on the two Dragon-types, keeping J's attention there. I could send out Sylveon and get Mawile some backup, but Melinda was slipping further and further towards the opening in the earth. My legs moved before I gave it any thought. My fingers wrapped around rope. I gave one huge heave, pulling Melinda off the shattered part of the balcony. "Hang on," I said, lifting Melinda up.

"Thank you," Melinda replied. She buried her head in my shoulder as tears streamed down her face. "All I wanted to win a contest."

"You did," I said. "This isn't your fault." Melinda didn't reply. Instead, she sobbed softly into my shoulder. "Where's your pokémon?" I asked.

"In her pokéball," Melinda said. "I didn't want her to get hurt."

We were far away enough from the fighting. I sat Melinda down before starting to untie the ropes. "She probably feels the same way about you," I said. "Maybe you should let her out."

The ropes dropped. Melinda rubbed her wrists. "Do you need help?" she asked.

"She'll be fine," Liam said, stepping into my view. Melinda nodded before scampering off, pokéball in hand. "What's his problem?"

"He wants to fight you," I said.

"Wish granted," Liam said. "Gardevoir! Hyper beam!"

I felt the air grow thick with power. Mega Gardevoir unleashed a massive blast, which was colored pink. The Fairy-type hyper beam blasted Altaria into the ground before pushing her through the dirt. When Mega Gardevoir ended the attack, Altaria didn't move.

"Master Hotep!" J yelled. "So glad you could make it. A double battle it is, then."

"When you're ready, Gardevoir," Liam said.

I glanced at Mega Gardevoir. She was still in pain from the earlier fights, and the hyper beam drained her. Garchomp, sensing the weakness, blew past Mawile in an attempt to beat down Mega Gardevoir. Mawile clamped her mouth-horns on Garchomp's leg, slamming it into the ground. Mega Gardevoir, recovered, fired the hyper beam again. After the beam died down, Garchomp lay on the ground.

"I will not be bested so easily," J said, smirking. He threw another pokéball. A large golem-like pokémon appeared. A Ghost-type pokémon. "Golurk, Phantom Force."

"Gardevoir, focus on me," Liam said. I glanced over at Gardevoir and Liam. Gardevoir had the same look in her eyes the day we ran into Little Suzie. Golurk disappeared before reappearing behind Mega Gardevoir. Mega Gardevoir teleported out of the way. Garchomp, recovered from Mega Gardevoir's attack, charged forward with iron tail, aiming for Mega Gardevoir. Mawile jumped in the way, taking the attack and flying back towards me.

"Zoe," Liam said, pulling out a pokéball, "pull Mawile out."

"What?" I asked. Mawile stood, unfazed by the attack.

"Do it!" Liam ordered. He returned Gardevoir to her pokéball. Mawile looked at me, confused, when I returned her to her pokéball.

"What now?" I asked.

"He sent his thugs after me to make sure he would win," Liam said. "So I'm sending you before I fight him."

"I just won't let you have the chance," I said.

"Don't use Mawile yet," Liam said. "He still has one pokémon, and it's probably his strongest."

"Got it," I said. Looking at the two pokémon in front of me, I sent out Little Suzie and Hitmonlee. "Little Suzie, focus on the Golurk. Hitmonlee, take down Garchomp."

Hitmonlee sprang towards Garchomp, engaging it in battle. Since Garchomp was severely weakened, I turned my focus to Little Suzie. Little Suzie used shadow sneak. Golurk turned around, expecting an attack from the rear. Little Suzie appeared at its side. The attack knocked Golurk off balance. Little Suzie fired off a shadow ball, knocking Golurk over. As Golurk fell, it slammed its arm into the ground. Cracks rushed towards Little Suzie, hitting her before she could get away.

Little Suzie hit the ground after the attack, and didn't get up. As J grinned, Hitmonlee kicked Garchomp with enough power to send it flying into Golurk. "Lee." Both Garchomp and Golurk were unconscious.

"Impressive," J said. "You must be Hotep's apprentice." He returned his pokémon to their pokéballs. "It will be enjoyable beating you."

I returned Little Suzie to her pokéball. "Not going to happen," I said.

J held his last pokéball. "This is still a doubles battle, is it not?" he asked. "Go ahead and send out another pokémon. Fair's fair, after all." I sent out Braviary. "Perfect." J threw his last pokéball. A Charizard appeared, roaring. It wore a strange headband with a stone in the middle. "Charizard, burn them."

Charizard unleash a flamethrower. Braviary flew up and away, narrowly dodging the flames. Hitmonlee didn't fare as well, taking the attack directly. The flames cleared, leaving Hitmonlee on the ground. "Be careful," Liam said. "He doesn't call out his attacks."

I nodded, returning Hitmonlee to his pokéball. I sent out Metagross in his place. "Work together and take down Charizard," I ordered.

Metagross lifted himself off the ground before using bullet punch. Charizard caught the attack with one hand. The force still pushed it back several feet. Charizard used its other hand to grab Metagross's arm. Flames appeared in Charizard's mouth. Metagross couldn't get away. Braviary dove from the sky, hitting Charizard in the back of the head. Charizard fired the flamethrower into the air. Metang used the opportunity to uses hammer arm, knocking Charizard back. Charizard landed on its feet before using air slash. Braviary dodged every disk. Metagross dodged every disk except one, and flinched when the last one hits him.

"I grow tired of playing with you," J said. Charizard grinned. "Time to end this." J pulled a sleeve up. He wore his key stone like a watch. After J touched it, Charizard mega evolved. I stared in awe at Mega Charizard. Its skin was black, the flame on its tail turned blue, and blue flames leaked out of the edges of its mouth. I felt panic rise within me.

Mega Charizard roared. Braviary used wing attack, trying to use its speed. Mega Charizard swatted Braviary to the ground. Metagross moved forward to help Braviary. Mega Charizard used inferno, sending out blue flames that engulfed Metagross. Braviary flapped his wings. Mega Charizard put its foot on Braviary before using dragon pulse. The blue flames around Metagross died down. Both of my pokémon were unconscious.

"Take a deep breath," Liam said as I reached for my last two pokéballs.

I forced myself to take a slow breath before sending out Sylveon and Mawile. As soon as they were out, I touched the key stone on my necklace. Mega Mawile flashed me a smile after her transformation. "Good luck," I whispered.

Mega Mawile jumped as Sylveon used fairy wind. The wind carried Mega Mawile towards Mega Charizard. Both sets of Mega Mawile's mouth-horns glowed. Mega Charizard prepared a flamethrower. Pink stars flew around Mega Mawile, striking Mega Charizard and throwing off its aim. The flamethrower grazed one of Mega Mawile's mouth-horns. Mega Mawile hit Mega Charizard directly with steel head. Mega Charizard retaliated with a swipe of his tail.

Mega Mawile flew back towards me. Sylveon prepared to catch Mega Mawile. Mega Charizard unleashed another inferno, catching Sylveon off guard. Sylveon cried out in pain before falling unconscious. Mega Mawile hit the ground rolling. She stood up afterwards.

"I'll give you one chance to surrender," J said. "One chance only."

Mega Mawile looked at me, determination in her eyes. She still wore her deceptively cute smile. "No deal," I said.

"Very well," J said.

Mega Charizard unleashed a flamethrower at Mega Mawile. Mega Mawile moved to dodge until she realized that the flamethrower would then hit me. Instead, Mega Mawile used flamethrower as well, both sets of her mouth-horns spewing flames. The flames met in the middle, scorching the ground. I felt the temperature rise.

"Zoe, we have to move!" Liam yelled. "Zoe!"

"I can't just leave her there!" I yelled back. Liam didn't respond. He couldn't say Mega Mawile would be fine.

"You can't fight fire with fire!" J yelled. "At least, not this one!" I watched as the fireball between Mega Charizard and Mega Mawile moved slowly towards my pokémon. Liam, sensing the danger, grabbed my arm and dragged me away.

Mega Mawile looked at me, a smirk on her face. Once I was clear, she stopped using flamethrower. I took a breath, prepared to yell to her, when I held it. Mega Mawile was still using flamethrower, but with only one set of mouth-horns. In her other set, a white orb started growing. I stared in awe as Mega Mawile used two attacks at once. The hyper beam tore through the flame, striking Mega Charizard in the face. Mega Charizard's flamethrower pushed the fireball into Mega Mawile. I stared in awe. Liam stopped pulling me away.

Mega Mawile took several breaths, burned and exhausted. Mega Charizard lay on his back, injured but conscious. Mega Mawile recovered first. Mega Charizard let out a weak roar as it forced itself to stand. Mega Mawile ran towards Mega Charizard, jumped, spun, and unleashed another hyper beam. The hyper beam propelled Mega Mawile high into the air. J watched, dumbfounded, as his best pokémon took the attack. After the white beam stopped, Charizard lay on the ground, defeated.

J blinked several times. "I lost?" he asked aloud. "How?"

I sighed before asking Liam, "What now?"

"Wait for the police to arrive," Liam replied. "I sent Amanda after them."

I nodded. Panic gripped me as I looked around. "Mawile?" I called out. "Mawile!"

"There!" Liam pointed in the air.

"Mawile!" I yelled. Mawile had already devolved and was falling. I ran towards her, jumping to catch her. I missed. A purple orb encased Mawile and me, preventing us from hitting the ground.

"Nice catch," Liam said.

"Gardevoir." She gently set us down.

I jumped to my feet before running towards Mawile. She wasn't moving. I picked her up, asking, "Mawile, are you okay?"

Mawile opened her eyes. "Maw." She flashed me one of her smiles, wincing as she did.

"You did great," I said.

"Thank you." She curled up in my arms, falling asleep. I knew Mawile spoke that time, but that was a problem for tomorrow.


	17. A Cure for What Ails you

Mawile yawned, rolling over on the couch. "Cute, isn't she?" Liam asked. I didn't say anything. The attack on the Contest Hall yesterday still lingered on my mind. "Zoe?"

I looked at Liam. "It's nothing," I said quickly.

"Get it off your chest," he said.

I sighed. "Someone risked innocent lives to fight you," I said. "What kind of person would do that?"

"People are complicated," Liam said. "The more you try to understand them, the less you really do."

I nodded. "There's one other thing. What's up between you and Gastly?"

"It's just as complicated," Liam said.

"Well?" I pressed.

Liam took a deep breath. "After Marowak died–my first one, that is–I didn't want to lose her like I lost my wife. So, I took Kirlia to Lavender town. Using the bond between Kirlia and Marowak, I found Marowak's spirit in the form of a Gastly. It recognized us, and I caught it without a fight. Even after one of them dying and the other evolving, Gardevoir and Gastly remained incredibly close. I suppose their love for me formed the base for the bond." A tear rolled down Liam's cheek. "Sometimes, I wonder if it was really the right thing to do. I mean, Marowak died. End of discussion. Cubone wore his mother's skull as proof. And a Cubone evolves once he accepted his mother's death. That means Marowak accepts his mother's death, but I can't. I couldn't lose another so close to me again."

"It's hard to let go of someone close to you, even after they die," I said. "I haven't. Besides, it sounds like Gastly cares about you."

Liam took a shaky breath. "I know," he said. "Gastly still wanted to fight by my side. So I trained her. I taught her moves that don't exist yet to prove that I would never abandon her again."

"How'd you do it?" I asked. The secret to how Liam taught Gastly how to split into multiple copies and do a mass transformation lied within the bond the two shared. "It must have been challenging."

Liam chuckled. "Gastly has no shape or form," Liam said. "A brisk breeze could blow her away. With no form, and clever wording, I could make it seem like Gastly cloned herself. Of course, I just taught Gastly how to create a small connection to each copy. That was the easy part. The multiple transformation required almost eight years of constant training. You've seen the end result."

"But the attacks had no effect on Gastly," I said. "If the copies were just extensions of herself, why wasn't she hurt?"

"Gastly has no shape or form," Liam repeated. "She simply separated the copy where the attack was going to hit, dodging the attack."

I nodded. "You've thought of everything," I said.

Liam smiled, another tear rolling down his cheek. "Afterwards, Gastly surprised me with a new trick she taught herself," Liam said. "Gastly transformed into herself before she died. Every scar, every scale, even the way she walked and talked was the same. Gastly even remembered bonemerang." Liam held back a sob. "Marowak and Gardevoir used to be so close. Now, the two can't even look at each other without Gardevoir panicking."

I remembered the conversation with Liam, and how Liam tried to help Gardevoir fight the Golurk. "Gardevoir can feel other people's emotions, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," Liam said. "But, that doesn't help. Even when Gardevoir feels how I feel around Gastly, the fear isn't cured."

"How do you feel around Gastly?" I asked. "Not the emotions you say you feel, but what Gardevoir feels coming from you. Are those emotions going to help Gardevoir get over her fear?"

Liam remained silent for a long time. I could see the thoughts cross Liam's face. After several minutes, Liam started crying. "Gardevoir," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Gardevoir?" She approached to him, looking confused.

"Every time you felt what I felt around Gastly," Liam said, "you felt my guilt, my sorrow, my pain. I'm sorry."

"Gardevoir." Gardevoir held Liam's hands, trying to calm him with her own inner peace. Liam took several deep breaths, tears still flowing from his eyes.

"I have an idea," I said gently. "I know someone with no negative emotions towards ghost pokémon. It might not cure Gardevoir, but it might help."

"Well?" Liam asked Gardevoir. "Are you willing to try it?"

"Gardevoir." She nodded, wiping away some of his tears.

"All right," Liam said. "Let me wash my face, and then we'll go."

* * *

I knocked on the door to a simple home. "Hello?" Jesse's father asked, opening the door. "Oh, it's you."

"I need Jesse's help," I said.

"With what?" Jesse asked, peering around her father.

I knelt down. "This is Liam and his pokémon, Gardevoir," I said, introducing the two behind me. "Gardevoir is afraid of ghosts. I thought if she saw a young trainer like you having so much fun with Little Suzie, then Gardevoir wouldn't be afraid anymore."

"Okay," Jesse said.

"Wait," Jesse's father said. "Just, be careful."

"I'll be fine," Jesse said. "I've got two strong trainers watching me."

Jesse's father sighed before nodding at me. "C'mon," I said, holding out my hand. Jesse's father stepped aside, letting Jesse take my hand. We walked a little ways away from the house, but still within eyesight of Jesse's father. I pulled out Little Suzie's pokéball. "Do you want to throw it?" I asked.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Jesse yelled, bouncing, before calming down. "I mean, yes please." I handed the young girl her pokémon. "Go, Little Suzie!" Jesse threw the pokéball.

"Banette!" Little Suzie appeared. The doll turned around and saw Jesse. "Bane?"

"I'm not a trainer yet," Jesse said, "but I still can help someone else."

"Banette?" Little Suzie looked at Gardevoir. The normally calm pokémon was terrified.

With a childish giggle, Jesse ran to Little Suzie before hugging her doll-turned-pokémon. "I missed you so much," Jesse said. "I can't wait until we're friends forever."

Little Suzie retuned the hug. "Banette."

I smiled at the two before turning to Liam and Gardevoir. Liam whispered in Gardevoir's ear. Gardevoir nodded, slowly. After several moments, Gardevoir's face turned from fear to doubt. Slowly, Gardevoir walked towards Little Suzie. Little Suzie stopped hugging Jesse. The doll turned towards Gardevoir, offering her a hug. Gardevoir picked up Little Suzie, keeping it at arm's length. After taking a deep breath, Gardevoir pulled Little Suzie in, hugging the Ghost-type. The doubt on Gardevoir's face changed into a smile. The hug became sincere, and Gardevoir started to cry. "Gardevoir." After Little Suzie down, Gardevoir turned towards Liam.

"We don't have to do this if you aren't ready," Liam said.

"Gardevoir." Her firm response was all the assurance Liam needed.

Liam threw a pokéball. Gastly appeared before Gardevoir. The two locked eyes for a brief moment. Ghastly, disturbed, faced Liam. Liam nodded. Gastly floated next to Gardevoir. Gardevoir forced herself to smile, reaching out a hand. "Gastly!" Gastly floated onto Gardevoir's hand.

I walked over to Liam. "It worked," he said. "I mean, Gardevoir isn't paralyzed with fear." He turned to face me. "Thank you." Gardevoir stared blank faced while Gastly made faces.

"What'd you tell Gardevoir?" I asked.

"To remember the good times the two shared," Liam said. "All Gardevoir needed was a little help remembering. Gastly, transform."

Gastly floated to the ground. The gaseous ball took the shape of a Marowak. The color appeared next, followed by details like eyes and scars, followed finally by the appearance of a large bone. "Marowak."

"Gar?" Tears appeared in Gardevoir's eyes. "Gardevoir?"

"Wak." Gardevoir picked up Gastly Marowak, embracing her. Gastly Marowak returned the feeling.

"There's someone missing," I said. "Does Marowak know?"

Liam sighed. "I'll let him know tonight," Liam said. "No more secrets."

I smiled. If anybody deserved a happily ever after, it was Pokémon Master Liam Hotep.


	18. Epilogue

I checked my backpack one last time. The bag was filled with spare clothes and extra food. Nodding, I closed the bag. "All set?" I asked Mawile.

"Ready," Mawile replied. I'd come to accept that I could understand Mawile completely. It seemed strange, but compared to everything else that happened, a talking pokémon wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Good," I said. "I think Amanda is cooking this morning. Said she was making waffles. Apparently, they're like pancakes."

Mawile didn't say anything. Instead, she charged past Liam. "Careful!" Liam yelled. "Mawile's coming down!"

"It's hard to believe something that small eats so much," I said.

"She's got to eat enough for two mouths," Liam said.

"That wasn't funny," I said.

"Who's joking?" Liam asked. "So, you're not changing your mind?"

"No," I said. "I'm stir crazy, just training here on this island. I want to explore the world, have crazy new adventures, maybe even find a rival or two."

"The hopes and dreams of every pokémon trainer," Liam said. He remained silent for a moment. After the moment passed, Liam cleared his throat. "I hope you don't mind, but Gardevoir's concerned about you. She scanned your mind."

"Scanned my mind?" I asked.

"She does that," Liam said. "Anyway, she said there was something up with your mind, but couldn't tell what. I think it may have something to do with getting clobbered in the head by a certain Machamp, so I was wondering if you noticed anything strange afterwards."

"Well, I had a strange dream while I was unconscious," I said. Something told me it was more than a dream, but I didn't want to worry Liam. "I don't really remember it."

"And after the dream?" Liam asked.

I wondered if I should tell him. "I can understand Mawile perfectly," I blurted before covering my mouth.

Shock covered Liam's face. It was soon replaced by a simple smile. "It's not unheard of," Liam said, "for someone to understand a new language after getting a hard hit on the head. I guess you understand Mawile's language perfectly now. What about other pokémon?"

"Just Mawile," I said. "It started off with the occasional sentence here or there, but now I can understand everything."

"Again, not unheard of," Liam said. "Still, I wouldn't go spreading the fact you can talk to Mawile."

"Of course," I said. "Speaking of Mawile, let's make sure she hasn't eaten Amanda."

"Agreed," Liam said. He led me downstairs, where Mawile was munching on waffles. A smile spread across her face with each new bite.

"I had a plate prepared for her," Amanda said. "Here." Amanda handed Liam and me a plate. "Eat up."

Amanda, Liam, and I enjoyed one last breakfast together, talking about nothing important. After the three of us were done, and Mawile was on her fourth plate, Liam whistled. Gardevoir entered the room, holding a small box. She handed me the box.

"What's this?" I asked.

"A gift," Liam said.

I shrugged before opening the box. A strange device was inside of it. "And this is?" I asked.

"C-gear," Liam said. "Since you were leaving, I figured you needed a way to stay in touch with Amanda and me. After all, you still have someone else's pokémon."

"True," I said. "Thanks."

"Just promise to call at least once a month," Amanda said, standing up. "Or else I'm going to find you and remind you the hard way."

"I won't forget," I said, standing as well. "Maybe."

Amanda and I hugged. "I'll miss you," she said.

"And I you," I replied.

Amanda released me. Liam stuck out his hand. I ignored it, hugging him. "Be careful out there," Liam said. "It'll take me a while to save you if you get into trouble."

"Yeah yeah," I said.

The three of us stepped outside. Braviary was perched outside, waiting for me. "Ready?" I asked him.

"Braviary!"

Mawile and I climbed onto Braviary's back. I looked back. Liam, Amanda, Jolteon, Marowak, Gastly, Gardevoir, Gallade, and Ninetails waited in front of Liam's home. "I'll be back," I said, "if you're lucky. Let's go, Braviary."

Braviary flapped once before taking off. As we flew away from the island, I waved at Gyarados. He dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Where are we going?" Mawile asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I was hoping you'd decide."

"Well then," Mawile said, "this way looks nice."

"Straight ahead it is," I said. "Towards adventure!"

Even as I left Beddleman's Island behind, I knew my story was just beginning. The end of one chapter leads to the beginning of another. I flew towards the horizon in search of that next chapter, wondering what adventures it would hold.


End file.
